The Moon in My Night
by Quest For Marbles
Summary: Saylin and Gaara are close friends. But when three fighters make appearances to the sand village and threaten the lives of its unique ninja, Saylin finds herself in a struggle that brings her closer to Gaara and threatens to end her life. A Gaara oc.
1. Ch 1 Saylin, Friend of Gaara

Hi people! This is my first fan fiction and I hope you like it! Constructive criticism welcome! It's a little confusing at first, but as the story progresses more things will begin to make more sense. Some of the Naruto world suff is wrong, (I haven't watched the Naruto series for a while) so I'm sorry if there are any mistakes. Before I forget (thanks to mrslordfluffy for reminding me about this), I do not own Gaara, the Naruto world, or any other characters, I only created Saylin. Warning (thanks again to mrslordfluffy) Gaara is a little out of character, but that is only to get the story going.

**Ch. 1 Saylin, Friend of Gaara**

Saylin stumbled down the street, the wild sand storm made her bright green eyes burn. She closed them to protective slits while hugging her cloak tightly around her. Another blast of sandy wind almost knocked her off her feet as she struggled to, and finally grasped the shiny gold doorknob on her house. She quickly unlocked the door, opened it, and pulled herself inside, grabbed the key, and slammed the door shut behind her. Saylin panted softly as she took off her shoes and laid her maroon cloak like jacket on a hanger. She sat down at her table, waiting for her breath to come back to normal. Saylin took off her sand village headband and wiped the sweat from her forehead.

Someone knocked lightly on the door. Saylin stood up and walked unsteadily over to it. Cautiously, she pulled the door open and peered around it to find a boy with bright red hair staring at her.

"Hi Gaara! Come on in." She welcomed, instantly recognizing her friend.

The boy walked in and Saylin closed the door behind him.

"What brings you here?" she asked, sitting down in her chair at the kitchen table. Gaara slid into the chair opposite hers and placed his sand gourd on the floor.

"The sandstorm and the paper." He replied dully, placing the paper on the table in front of her. "Read this." He ordered as he traced a thin, spidery finger over the headline of a bolded article in the paper. Saylin wordlessly reached out and took the newspaper from him, reading the article to herself.

_**The Three Fighters Strike Again!**_

_Yesterday, another sand village ninja has been kidnapped by the mysterious Three Fighters. It was said by an eyewitnesses that they "Appeared out of nowhere, and took the ninja before we could do so much as blink! First, they asked for our best fighter, and challenged him to a dual. When he came forward, the three attacked him, and somehow knocking him out before he could move! They took him away, leaving without a trace!" _

_The kazekage says, "We should try to befriend these deadly strangers. They could be powerful allies."_

"Wow." Saylin grimaced, "Gaara, everyone knows about this; why are you showing it to me?" she inquired, her eyes clouded with curiosity.

"For your well being." He replied in an aggressive tone. He stared at the headline to conceal his anger. Gaara's fingers pressed hard against the table, so hard, they turned white like the first snow of winter.

"What do you mean?" she asked timidly, sliding back the paper back to him.

"You have the best grades and skills, of all of the sand village ninja, and everyone knows it. On top of that, you also know the village's secret jutsus. You never know if you could be in this situation with anyone that might tell them that about you." He replied coldly, having no trust for the people around him, many years of betrayal and depict taking its toll on him.

Saylin blushed a pale pink "Thanks. I'll remember that." She said. Saylin turned away from him, embarrassed.

"Just be on the lookout. As long as those ninja are around, everyone is in danger, especially the shinobi with unique abilities." He reminded her.

"That includes you." Stated Saylin sharply, turning back to face him, frowning. "You have abilities that they might want too. Just because you are looking out for me doesn't mean I can't worry about you too. You are my friend, Gaara. Don't forget that."

Gaara sighed, and took back the paper. The two sat in silence for a while, listening to the storm overhead, both refusing to look at each other.

"Can I get you anything? The sandstorm will be here for awhile." She asked, trying to break the uncomfortable silence.

"Not at the moment." Gaara muttered, waving away her offer with a flick of his hand.

"You look sad, is something bothering you?" She asked, noticing how gloomy he seemed to be. Saylin walked back to the table, but remained standing up.

After a couple long, suspenseful seconds, he whispered softly, "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, anything." Saylin responded sincerely.

"Why do you care?" He asked, his hard hazel eyes penetrating her soft emerald ones.

"I don't understand." She replied, sitting back down, facing Gaara, a baffled expression on her face.

"Why do you care about me? I have a demon inside of me! I'm dangerous! I'm a monster! How can you stand to call me your friend?" He demanded, pain and sorrow forming in his voice. "No one else does! Why do you… how can you… care so much about me?" As if in an attempt to frighten her, Gaara started playing with the sand in his gourd, making it swirl venomously around him like a snake ready to attack. Saylin stared, frightened momentarily at the sand. Then she smiled and answered, "Because even if you don't consider yourself human, I do. I care about you because you cared about me when I needed a friend- that's humanity, among other things. When I was sad, you comforted me, and helped me get through all the tough times. You have stood by me better than any other 'human' has. As for being a demon, I couldn't care less about that, so what if you could hurt me, I know you wouldn't." Saylin responded, sad about remembering the tear jerking memories of her childhood, her hands turning to fists to stop herself from crying. With her response, Gaara released his hold on the sand, letting it fall in a motionless pile on the ground.

Gaara acknowledged her anguish and muttered, "So, you still miss them?"

"Yeah, of course I do. They were my parents." She whispered softly, then a small smiled played on her face and she grumbled, "It's quite ironic, actually."

"What is?" he asked, his eyes softening; trying to understand her.

"The day I lost my parents is the same day I found my best friend." She replied dryly.

"That was eight years ago." Noted Gaara.

"I was eight when they passed away." Saylin mumbled, a hard and sore lump forming in her throat.

The wind stopped howling above them, returning to its normal whisper. The windows no longer rattled, and Saylin could now see outside her windows again. Saylin stood up and edged her way over to her window to open the curtain. "It's over." She informed Gaara, as a few rays of moonlight fell on her face.

Gaara nodded. "Good bye." He ended, picking up his sand gourd and slinging it around his back.

"See you around." Saylin shouted as Gaara stood up and walked out the door, closing it behind him.

"_I hope he was wrong about the ninja. Let them leave the sand village, and go away. They've already taken two men. What do they want anyway?"_She thought as she walked to her room, and grabbed her black and blue pajamas. Then she walked into her tiny bathroom, and closed its door behind her. Carelessly, she tossed the pajamas into an unoccupied corner to sit until her shower was finished. After that, she turned on the water and slipped out of her daywear. Slowly, she stepped into the shower.

She closed her eyes, and embraced the cool water with relief. Saylin stood there for a few minutes, feeling the refreshing crisp water against her burned skin. It was refreshing for her to feel it trickle down her neck and back, like a massage after a hard day of work. Swiftly, she washed herself with her green tea scented soap. She smiled in delight as she worked the soap into a lather on her hands, creating numerous bubbles. Saylin also shampooed and conditioned her hair with her ocean-scented products.

Once she felt clean, she regretfully turned the water off. She then dried herself with a new soft towel. Her short black hair dried fast as she shook it out, spraying water in every direction like a rain cloud heavy with rain.

Saylin's eyes scanned the bathroom hurriedly as she searched for her pajamas. Soon, she found them hiding in the corner she had thrown them in to previous to her shower. She pulled on her pajamas and tossed the towel and into her laundry bin. Saylin then brushed her teeth and hair. The only joy she found in those were that the toothpaste tasted good, making the job of brushing her teeth easier. On the other hand, nothing seemed to make brushing her hair simple; the brush was always hiding from her, and her hair collected many knots despite its measly seven inches in length. After all of her activates were done, Saylin collapsed on her bed, curled up into a ball, and fell asleep.

Saylin normally tossed and turned in her sleep, as if in a nightmare. Strangely though, she couldn't dream. It was bizarre. Her parents used to tell her that she did it, even as a little girl. Saylin would talk, roll around, and sometimes scream, in her sleep. Her parents would rush into the room and wake her up, asking what she was doing. Saylin would have no memory of what she dreamed of. "All I saw was back. There was nothing until you woke me up." She would say, frightened of herself. Tonight, she didn't move, but stayed still as she slept. The only sound that escaped her lips was the faint sound of her heavy breathing throughout the darkness.


	2. Ch 2 Stalker Ninja

Hi people, here is the second chapter. FYI I made a few corrections to the note before chapter 1 so if you read that and it looks different, its supposed to be that way. I also changed the title.

**Ch. 2 Stalker Ninja**

Sunlight awoke Saylin early the next morning. She lazily rolled out of bed and stretched. After noticing that it was 9:30, her expression turned from sleep to shock, realizing that she had fifteen minutes to get to the sand village ninja academy. She flew to her dresser, opened it, and whisked out her tight gray t-shirt, black cargos shorts which cut off below her knee caps, long navy socks which went up to her knee caps, and her undergarments. Saylin threw the bundle of clothes into the bathroom and took a quick shower. After three minutes, of wild movement and hurried cleaning, Saylin bust out of the shower, slamming the water off. Stumbling over to the sink, she dried herself off with the towel, scrubbing herself with much more force than was necessary. Flinging the towel aside, she attacked her clothes, pulling them this way and that, trying to get them on the right way.

Sliding into the kitchen, (on her socks) wet hair sticking out of her head like spikes, Saylin snagged a rice ball from her refrigerator and a glace of tap water for breakfast while vigorously pulling a brush through her messy and tangled hair. Once she was satisfied with the way she looked, Saylin pulled it back with her headband that was conveniently waiting for her on the table. After cramming down the last bit of her rice ball down her throat and swallowing the last of her water, she tugged on her back combat boots and tossed her green-bagged ninja gear over her shoulder. She then blew the door open and rocketed out of her house. Kicking the door shut behind her, she took off down the road at a running pace, a tornado of chaos. She was half way to the academy when someone called,

"Say, wait up!"

Saylin stopped short, and turned around to see a few of the girly ninja from the academy running up to her.

"Hi." Saylin replied shortly, reluctant to talk to them. _"Where the heck did the nickname 'Say' come from?"_ She asked herself insanely.

"Hey, Say." Shouted the nearest one, catching up with Saylin and slowing down to walk next to her.

"Uh, can I help you?" asked Saylin quickly, _"What do they want?"_ she thought suspiciously.

"We need to talk to you." Another one with long brown hair ordered.

"What about?" Saylin trotted briskly in the direction of the academy, trying get the conversation over with as little blood shed as possible.

"It involves your social life." The first one replied, patting Saylin on the back with pity, shaking her head sadly.

"What does my social life have to do with anything?" Snapped Saylin, annoyed and violated on the topic.

"Everything. You don't have any friends, and you always hide behind that hair of yours. You're constantly afraid and shy, like a little mouse." Explained the brunette, "So we will make you our friend, under one condition."

"And that is?" asked Saylin curtly, inwardly feeling no need to have odd friends like these.

"Stop hanging around that demon boy, Gaara!" Hissed another girl with a blond hair, a disgusted look on her face.

"Why? Gaara is my friend! You don't know anything about my social life. What gave you the nerve to ask me to do something like that?" Shouted Saylin furiously, her voice escalating to the point of screaming.

"Because he is a demon! He could hurt you, he probably already planning to turn you into a demon or something. We want you to be our friend, but he is so scary. Please, do us all a favor and just leave him alone! You could be the most popular girl in class!" Their leader pleaded, putting her arm on Saylin's shoulder.

"You people have sick minds!" Saylin growled, pushing the other girl's arm off her, "Gaara wouldn't hurt me, and wouldn't hurt you either, if you just took a second to realize what he has been through. Besides, I've known Gaara longer than you, and he is a lot nicer than you are." She snarled, almost jogging away from them.

"Say, that's what we are telling you! Gaara isn't your friend, he's a demon! If you are caught hanging around the likes of him… it could affect your whole life- everyone would think you are like him." The brunette cried between pants, coming up behind Saylin.

"Stop calling me 'Say' and leave me alone. I don't want to be your pretend friend if it means have to loose my best friend to do so." Retorted Saylin, pulling away from them. To ensure her safety, she gave them an icy stare; one filled with hatred and distain, similar to the one Gaara usually gives people. This time, the girls didn't bother trying to catch up to her, and stood there stunned that Saylin would reject their generous offer.

"We are just telling you for your own good! You'll get killed for being his friend!" They shouted, just before they disappeared from Saylin's view.

"Idiots!" Hissed Saylin once they were out of earshot. "mindless, prejudice, nasty little-"

"Hello Saylin." Interrupted a soft voice off to her right.

"Ack!" Cried Saylin, startled. She shrieked and spun around, facing the direction of the voice, nearly breaking both ankles in the wild motion. "Gaara?" She asked warily. To answer her question, Gaara appeared from behind a billowing cloud of sand.

"You look troubled." He stated dully, seeing the murderous, alarmed look on her face.

"I had a run in with some nasty people." Saylin stated truthfully.

"Who are they? Want me to kill them for you?" Gaara asked in a normal tone, as if this were a rational solution to the problem. At his command, the sand at his feet began to shift.

"Umm… not really, thanks anyways." Saylin muttered sheepishly.

"Ok." He shrugged, the sand stopped moving, and Gaara turned to eye some houses nearby.

The two didn't talk until they reached the academy. "So, what do you think we are going to learn today?" She asked, turning around to see the popular girls glaring at her maliciously. Saylin walked into the room and sat down next to Gaara, with an inside, subconscious smirk. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could feel the blonde ninja turning purple with rage.

"Multiple transformation jutsu." He replied knowledgably, slouching in his seat.

As the teacher stood up and began to talk, Saylin felt someone to her right poke her on the arm. Before she could respond to it, a slip of paper was pushed into her hand. When the teacher wasn't looking, Saylin opened and read it. In scribbled, teacher-resistant handwriting, it read:

Say,

We weren't lying about earlier. If you want to hang out with demon boy, go right ahead. We won't try to stop you and we can guarantee that no one else will either. We are just saying that it is better to ditch him and find yourself some new friends. Not everyone will give you the chance we will. The offer we gave you is still up, even though you hate us. There is room for you in our group once you realize what mistake you have made with that creep.

-Ki

Saylin angelically looked around for Ki, her eyes urgently scanning the room. Ki, who Saylin found watching her, nodded with a small smile upon eye contact. Her eyes danced with glee as she saw Saylin smiling back. Unfortunately for Ki, anyone who knew Saylin would know that she was smiling evilly, not happily. Staring the ninja in the eyes, Saylin crinkled the paper up and tossed it into the garbage can. Ki's copper eyes burned with hatred. She mouthed, "You demon! You are just like him!"

Saylin only grinned wider and mouthed back, "You are the only demon here."

After that silent conversation and the violent exchange of glares, news quickly spread to all the other ninja in the classroom about what happened. They gave Saylin deadly glances throughout class, and whispered about her when she wasn't looking. Saylin pretended to ignore them, but felt slightly paranoid inside. The entire class was putting her on edge. Even when the students were ordered to practice the jutsu, she could hear her name mentioned twice. Gaara noticed Saylin's uneasiness and asked her, "Are those girls bothering you?" Gaara nodded in Ki's direction.

"N-" Saylin cut off as she transformed into their teacher, their assignment for the day. "No. They just got on my nerves, that's all. They won't try to annoy me again." _"I hope."_ She thought wishfully.

"Excellent Saylin, you are a role model for the class." Their teacher exclaimed proudly as he checked her transformation, beaming at her as if she was a great hero. But when the teacher turned to Gaara, he frowned as if he were having the worst day of his life. "You lack every skill needed to perform this jutsu! You are a failure!" He shouted.

Gaara just stared at him with contempt in his eyes. Saylin's eyebrows wrinkled, and she glared at the teacher with both sadness and anger. She felt her face turn hot and tears welled up in her eyes. _"Gaara didn't do anything wrong! His transformation is the same as mine!"_ she thought, feeling a huge lump form in her throat, _"I can't believe he has to put up with this!"_

She opened her mouth to tell the teacher to stop, but Gaara suddenly stared at her, "Do not interfere." he seemed to say with his eyes.

Saylin sighed and closed her mouth. _"It isn't fair! He doesn't deserve to be treated this way!"_She turned away from him and the shouting figure in front of him. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see Ki and her friends smiling at the teacher as he yelled pointlessly at Garra.

"Change back everyone!" He ordered after he was finished. With a soft 'poof'the class returned back into themselves. Saylin couldn't look at Gaara for a few minutes, feeling immense guilt for his getting yelled at.

"I'm sorry." Saylin whispered, a light shade of pink touching her cheeks.

"Why? You didn't do anything wrong." He replied, confused.

"It's just… I hate it when he does that, it makes me want to scream at him, why won't you let me?" She hissed, shooting her teacher a resentful glance.

"Because you don't have a demon in you and I don't want you to get in trouble. I don't care about what he says." He grumbled, "Now, about before," he said, changing the subject back to their previous conversation, "Are you sure you don't want me to kill them?"

"No Gaara, I'm fine." Saylin replied as the brunette ninja stared at her incredulously. She, apparently, had just gotten the news of Saylin's decline to their request. Gaara turned to face the brunette and stared emotionlessly into her eyes. She squeaked and turned away, shaking with fear. Gaara sighed, and a small smile played its way across his lips.

After another two hours filled with lectures, silent messages, and more glances and stares, the teacher finally shouted, "Remember, you don't have class tomorrow. You all are dismissed!"

All the students gratefully fled the classroom, almost running.


	3. Ch 3 Almost

When I'm writing for fun outside of school, like writing fan fictions, I sometimes add notes to myself. You know, so if you get cut off while writing (being forced to do chores, going to school, exc. exc.) you can remember where you were or what you were thinking. Anywho, one particular note told me to remind you people of an important fact that will appear in this chapter. It is a shocker, but… Gaara _does _have eyebrows in this story! gasp

**Ch. 3 Almost…**

"Say, wait up!" shouted the brunette, "You can't do this to yourself!"

"Gaara, run!" Saylin hissed unlocking her knees into a loose position.

"Gladly." Gaara replied as the two dashed out the classroom, giving them a head start run away from the other ninja.

Once they were out of the school, Gaara and Saylin turned around to see the determined ninja running after them. The sight of the fuming girls made Saylin giggle, and Gaara smiled.

"This way!" Shouted Saylin, pointing down the road.

"Why can't we just destroy them and solve the problem?" Gaara asked impatiently.

Saylin cocked one eyebrow and stated, "One: I don't like to watch you kill people. Two: its much more amusing to outrun them."

"Down the road." Gaara obeyed and they sped down the street, leaving a messy trail of sand behind them.

The prisses split up and ran after the two, trying to cut them off. "Say! We won't let you ruin your life!" One screamed. Gaara and Saylin only ran faster, jumping over the three girls that slid in front of them.

"I don't need you to tell me how to run my life, stalkers!" Saylin shouted back.

"Why don't we hear what they have to say? They are chasing us around to tell us something, why don't we listen?" Gaara suggested, slowing down.

"Maybe you are right." Shrugged Saylin. She stopped running, and whirled around, spraying sand everywhere.

"Finally!" Shouted Ki, she and her gang skidding to a halt in front of them.

"Why can't you listen to reason?" Asked Ki impatiently, her hands on her hips.

"Can't you get it through your thick skull that I don't want to be your friend?" Shouted Saylin, turning around and dashing down the road, Gaara close behind her.

"You can't run from the truth forever." Cried Ki, she and her gang taking off after the two.

"You will be a great listener and negotiator." Gaara grumbled sarcastically, making Saylin roll her eyes childishly.

For then next two hours, Gaara and Saylin spent all their time either running or hiding from the girls. They ran through the town, speeding past every building in the sand village at least once. Finally, they stopped at Gaara's house, it being the one place that the girls wouldn't follow them to.

"We… outran them. They won't… find… us… here…" She murmured between gasps.

"That was fun. I never knew that watching idiots trying to act like shinobi could be so amusing." He chuckled. He was having more fun than she was. He noticed how out of breath she was and asked, "You're tired?" Fake bewilderment and astonishment crossing his face.

"Not everyone… has… demonic strength." Saylin panted, slouching against the wall. "Let's go inside before they find us. I have had enough of them for one day."

The two walked inside, and Saylin placed her ninja gear down by the door.

"Hey Gaara, where were you?" Asked a girl with blond hair as she leaned on a giant black fan.

"Playing tag-hide-and-go-seek with Saylin, Timari." Gaara replied as Saylin stifled a giggle. _"Tag hide and seek? More like 'run away from the crazed kuniochi'."_

"Saylin!" Beamed Timari, and she and Saylin gave each other a friendly hug.

"What's going on here?" Questioned a boy with purple markings on his face.

"Hey little bro. Where were you? Wait a minute. Saylin, Is that you? What a surprise." He nodded in her direction, addressing the two.

"Hey, Konkaru." Saylin smiled, flashing a row of straight, white, teeth.

After exchange of greetings, the four sat down at the table and discussed their training. Timari wanted to learn more about controlling the wind because she had a giant fan that was useful in knocking opponents around. Konkaru said that he wanted to learn more about shadow clones and puppets; he liked to distract his opponents and attack them from behind. Saylin offered the idea of tracking your enemy by reading their thoughts. Gaara ended the conversation by saying, "I already know what I wanted to learn about killing people with sand." When it was six o'clock, Timari and Saylin started preparing dinner. Gaara and Konkaru had no interest in the art of cooking, so they snuck away to the living room.

"What do you want to eat?" Asked Timari, "Guests pick."

"I come over here so much, I don't think I qualify as a guest." Saylin replied, making Timari laugh. "I'll eat anything." She answered, leaning back against the counter.

"Onigiri it is." Timari decided, picking some ingredients out of her cabinets and refrigerator. "Rice, salt, seasoning, nori, and filling. I think we are ready to bake." Timari proclaimed, examining the ingredients. First, they prepared the rice, by cooking it. After that, they forming it into many fist sized balls. Then they added their filling inside. Timari and Saylin choose shrimp; their favorite. Once they had carefully placed the other halves of the rice balls back on; they sprinkled salt and seasoning on the rice and wrapped them in strips of seaweed. Soon after that, they turned on the oven. Once it was ready, they placed their dinner in it to bake. One hour later, the two girls were finally done.

"Konkaru!" Demanded Timari after taking the onigiri out of the oven.

"What, sis?" He grumbled, peeking out from behind the door.

"It's your turn to set the table!" Ordered Timari, pointing one long finger to the table.

"Only if you help with the dishes!" He retorted, shuffling into the kitchen.

"Fine!" Muttered Timari, putting her hands on her hips.

"Let me guess, onigiri with shrimp filling." Konkaru asked, sitting down at the newly set table.

"Correct!" Timari and Saylin replied in unison, both grinning wildly.

"I knew it!" He muttered, "Gaara, dinner is ready." He nodded in Gaara's direction, as Gaara stalked into the kitchen, and sat down next to his brother.

"Ta da!" Timari exclaimed, placing the rice balls on the table, "Eat up."

Dinner was lively; everyone enjoyed a hot meal after a full week of training. Throughout dinner, Gaara didn't talk, but stared outside at the moon; watching it rise. Afterwards, Timari tried to sneak away with Saylin and Gaara to the living room, but Konkaru stopped her. "Didn't you agree to help me do the dishes?" He asked politely.

"Yes." Grumbled Timari, rolling her eyes.

"Then where are you going?" He asked politely.

"Nowhere." She muttered.

Gaara and Saylin slid into the living room, "Konkaru caught her." Gaara murmured, his eyes never leaving the moon.

Saylin smiled, knowing how Timari hated washing dishes and feeling a slight pang of guilt that she wasn't helping. "Why do you like the moon so much? You never stop looking at it." She asked curiously.

"It's… interesting." He replied, selecting his words carefully and slowly. "There's a better view from the roof." He hinted.

"I'll believe that, lets check it out." She replied, taking the bait. Gaara stood up and she followed him outside.

Saylin wasn't ready for the blast of cold that hit her when she opened the door. Immedieatly, she started to shiver, but for Gaara's sake, she pretended that nothing was bothering her. The two jumped on the roof facing the moon. Gaara sat down, cross-legged, resting his head in his hands. Saylin curled up in a ball, and hug her arms around her legs, trying to keep warm in the freezing night.

"What do you think?" He asked genuinely.

"It's very p-pretty." She stammered, fighting for control over her chattering teeth, "I c-can see why y-you like it so much-ch." Chattered Saylin, more shivering spasms taking control over her body.

"You're cold, you need this." He whispered soothingly, finally staring at her. For the first time, he tore his eyes away from the moon. Saylin hugged herself more tightly, burying her face in her knees. Saylin heard a pop and Gaara disappeared. Saylin looked around, trying to find him. Looking left and right, she couldn't see him. It wasn't until she looked up, did she see him staring down at her, his expression unreadable. He was standing behind her, taking off his cloak, and gently laying it around her back. Saylin hurriedly pulled it around her and she instantly stopped shivering. The cloak was astonishingly soft and warm and smelt like musk.

"Thanks," She murmured, pulling it tightly around her. "But won't you be cold?" she asked, concerned.

Gaara shook his head, but sat down next to her, his face now only a few inches away from hers. Again, he was gazing back up at the moon.

Saylin found herself staring at him for a long time. Her eyes took in his face's every detail, from his bright red hair, to his fiery green eyes, to his perfectly sized nose, to his light pink lips. It was almost like a dream to her, one that she felt like she should never have to wake up from. Her heart fluttered, making her panic. Only the fear that he would catch her watching him seemed to wake her from her stupor. She looked back up at the stars, forcing herself to turn away from his perfect face. _"What am I doing?" _She asked herself nervously. _"What's wrong with me?"_

"Hey Gaara, look!" Saylin cried, pointing to the sky to distract herself.

"What is it?" He asked, blinking up at the sky.

"The North Star." Stated Saylin.

Gaara gave her a questioning look, as if to say, "What on earth is that?" and raised an elegant eyebrow.

"If you look at the big dipper," She gestured to five stars that made a ladle like constellation, "and follow it across," she said, moving her pointer finger across the sky, "You can see that tiny blue star. It is called the North Star." Explained Saylin.

"Say?" Asked a voice from behind.

"Oh, no." Moaned Saylin, "Go away."

The prissy girls appeared out of nowhere, hopping onto the roof.

"Say, we have a lot to talk ab-" the brunette cut off, seeing Gaara. She flinched as if she had been burned, and she stepped back behind Ki.

"Leave. Me. Alone. I. Do. Not. Want. To. Be. Your. Friend." She stated slowly, as Gaara stood up.

"Whatever you've been trying to tell them has obviously not been getting through, isn't this about... the fifth time today you've told you to leave you alone? I am not listening to you this time, I will deal with them." Gaara insisted, Saylin grinned darkly. _"That might not be such a bad idea…"_ She agreed inwardly, for once deciding to let Garra take over her situation.

The girls squealed like frightened pigs, and ran off the roof and into the night. Saylin tried to stifle a giggle, but burst out laughing instead. Her breath came in short gasps and she caved over her stomach. Gaara joined in, and sat back down next to her. Between random outbursts of hysterical laughter, they showed each other constellations. Gaara seemed very fond of the tiger, while Saylin preferred the stag.

After that, Gaara didn't speak to her, and remained silent, focused on the moon. He didn't notice her odd behavior though; he had eyes only for the silver sphere in front of him.

Throughout the night, Saylin caught herself staring at Gaara many times. She found it strange that she could never remember one time she had been staring at him, although she remembered staring at him quite often. That reason alone seemed to make her stare at him even more, her eyes drinking in his perfect features. Each time, she would feel a strange, intoxicating sensation wash over her. Her heart would hammer in her chest, and she would flush a deep red. For some reason, that feeling satisfied her and gave her peace.

Halfway through one of her particularly long staring stupors, she felt the odd longing to touch him. She wondered why; thoughts of needing to feel his hair, or hug him… or even kiss him took control of her mind. She shook her head, but looking away only made the sensation worse, more obsessive. After three suspenseful seconds of twiddling her thumbs, ignoring herself, she finally gave in. Turning back to him, she leaned forward towards him. She felt so frightened in herself, but so certain about what she was- "_WHAT AM I DOING?!"_ part of her screamed.

Saylin blushed a deep crimson, and she leaned back to sit normally. She had almost reached up and kissed Gaara. Randomly, Saylin looked down at her watch. It said the time was 11:30. Gaara saw her jerked movements, and his eyes drifted down to her watch. "I think it's about time I brought you home." He suggested, staring into her eyes.

"Wow! I didn't notice how late it was. I think I can stay a bit longer though, we don't have training tomorrow." Muttered Saylin regretfully, in mid yawn.

"You'll fall asleep by them." Gaara smiled, standing up, offering her his hand.

"Fine." Muttered Saylin, sighing defeat. Trustingly, she placed her hand on his. When she did, she felt the nervousness from before return, only this time it was more powerful than ever. Her heart rate sped up again, and her stomach felt like it was about to explode from nerves. Saylin's face turned red and hot as her hand quivered in his firm grasp. She felt overwhelmingly dizzy, as the roof spun around her. Her other hand somehow slipped off of the roof. To balance herself, she pulled her hand, the one that was in Gaara's, straight to the ground. The strange sensation dulled, but it didn't go away. It was probably a mixture of being tired and that odd feeling. Saylin stared strangely at her hand, shaking her head to steady herself.

Gaara pulled his hand own hand back, and sighed.

"Gaara…" She whispered, realizing why he thought she moved her hand.

"It's ok, I understand." He whispered softly, facing the moon again.

"No! It's not like that at all!" She stood up and placed her hand on his shoulder, "I don't know what happened. I just felt… weird, I almost collapsed. I only pulled away because I needed my other hand to balance myself." She pleaded.

"Oh, sorry. I thought… it didn't occur to me... you weren't…" His voice trailed off.

Saylin didn't respond. They both knew what he was going to say, and Saylin knew how delicate the topic was.

"Look Gaara, a shooting star! Make a wish!"

He stared at the glowing streak of blue light in the sky. For an instant, she thought she saw his eyes flicker on her hand on his shoulder, but it was only for an instant, and she could not tell in the night. Gaara closed his eyes and stood completely still for a few seconds. Saylin couldn't tell if he did so much as breath, it made her heart beat fast. When he opened his eyes, the star had vanished from view.

"What did you wish for?" Saylin asked curiously.

"I don't think I'm allowed to tell you." Gaara replied, amused, "Now, I think its about time I brought you home."

Saylin grinned, "I'd like that very much, but I have to get my ninja gear first, it's right by the door." She answered, sliding off the roof. Gaara disappeared again. Saylin landed softly on her feet and looked around for him. He reappeared with her bag slung over his shoulder.

"I'll take it." Saylin mumbled, reaching slowly for her bag.

Gaara only laughed and pushed her hand away extremely slowly, holding it longer than necessary, "You look so tired, I doubt you'll be able to even lift it up."

Unfortunately for Saylin, Gaara was right. Her eyes were heavy and weary looking. She found it difficult to concentrate, and almost ran into him when they started walking back.

"Your night vision is terrible." He noted, after catching Saylin before she fell face first over a sidewalk and into a pole.

"Ha ha ha." She grumbled sarcastically as she stood up, agitated from lack of sleep.

For the rest of the way, Gaara steered her in the right direction, making sure she didn't trip over, run into, or fly off of anything. Fifteen blunder free minutes later, Gaara stopped Saylin in front of her house.

"Home." He announced, opening the door for her. Saylin only nodded in response, trying to find the strength to speak. Gaara dropped her ninja gear off behind the door, and Saylin weakly handed him his cloak back.

'Night' was the only thing she could say in a soft, strained voice.

"Good night." He waved to her as he walked back down the road. Saylin closed the door behind him, and stumbled into her room. She collapsed on her bed, and instantly fell asleep.


	4. Ch 4 A New Target

Hi people, the story is going to get intresting now! Woohoo! Please read and review, thanks.

**Ch. 4 A New Target**

The sun had fully risen by the time Saylin opened her eyes. She sat up abruptly, causing the room spun around her. Her head felt heavy, and she fell back against the wall, groaning as it protested her sudden movements. After two long minutes of watching tiny dots of color swirl in her vision, Saylin tried to get out of bed, only more slowly this time. Thankfully, she had more success.

She randomly selected her clothes to wear, and took a quick shower. After changing, Saylin walked into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of milk and cooked an omelet for breakfast. The creamy milk and warm omelet made her taste buds light up after a dull night of sleep. Now fully awake, Saylin put the dishes in the sink and brushed her teeth. The mint toothpaste overpowered the taste of her breakfast while stinging her mouth with its flavor. She eagerly spit out the foamy paste and rinsed her mouth with water; her teeth were now squeaky clean. Finally, she completed her morning duties by brushing her hair. _"I don't have class today, so I'll get some more food, I'm almost out. Then I'll see what Gaara is up to."_ She assigned herself as she tied her shoes.

Before leaving the house, Saylin stepped back into the kitchen and opened her cabinet next to the refrigerator. Standing on her tiptoes, she reached into the cabinet and pulled out a large blue cup. Inside, filled to the brim, was a stash of gold coins. She grabbed a handful of coins and jammed them into her pocket. Once she had all of the money she needed for shopping, she put the cup back were it originally was, and closed the cabinet. Once she was finished, she walked outside, locking the door behind her, the change jingled at an embarrassing volume as she walked.

Full daylight hit her hard; it was a big difference from inside her dark house. "Wah!" She cried, using her hand to block the sun's yellow light, big neon colored blotches appearing in her vision. Only seeing out of the few normal spots of her eyes, Saylin walked into the market and browsed through the goods being sold on the street.

It was an uplifting, cheery site. The people were almost always helpful and happy. There was even an excited, spring-like aroma to it, like a combination of lavender and vanilla, but slightly floral, like a rose.

The vendors were always laughing and talking among themselves; a friendly lot. They had been very generous to her when her parents died; some brought extra supplies for Saylin until she could support herself. They had even let her take some extra food when she couldn't afford any. On top of that, when she was of age, they offered her part time jobs, so she could earn some extra cash. One of her favorite vendors, Satsu, was in a good mood today. She had sold a rare herb to three out of town folk. Satsu also whispered that the three were obviously inexperienced in the ways of herb buying and had overpaid her. Satsu, being a cunning old lady, hadn't told them and had laughed when they left.

Saylin had soon accumulated a week's worth of fruit and vegetables. After paying for them, she purchased three pounds of rice. Once she had finished shopping, an eerie sensation washed over her; she felt like she was being watched. It was that foreboding sensation that something luck was about to take a turn for the worst. Saylin looked around, eyeing the crowd carefully. "Help!" Someone screamed in a loud voice.

Everyone in the market stopped talking, and turned around to face the voice. The source of the voice were three masked warriors. They were all dressed in black, but they let their faces show. One of them held a small boy, no older than five, a kunai pointed at his throat. No one moved; Saylin's blood ran cold and her eyes widened.

"Hello again my good sand villagers. Care to tell us who is the best fighter here? It would be a shame to massacre all these people because one person didn't volunteer." The tallest one growled sadistically.

The crowd began to murmur, and Saylin found her remembering something Gaara had told her, "You have the best grades, and skills, of all of the sand village ninja, and everyone knows it."

A man behind Saylin tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around slowly and when he saw her face, he exclaimed, "Hey, you are Saylin Miyakoe, aren't you?"

"Yeah, that's her!" Added another person before Saylin could answer.

"I heard she is the best ninja in the entire village! Go take them! Beat them up!" Someone else shouted.

"Save my boy!" Sobbed a woman, throwing herself at Saylin's feet, crying hysterically.

"Come forward, Saylin of the sand village. Unless you want the boy to die." The tall ninja announced, catching parts of the conversations, pressing the kuni harder against the boy's throat. The child gasped and squirmed, but the ninja holding him just squeezed him harder.

"Let him go!" Saylin shouted, trying to sound brave. _"This is bad, really bad. I don't even have my gear with me!"_ she thought franticly, _"but I have to try."_ She grimly pushed her way through to the front of the murmuring crowd. It parted for her as she faced the three ninja.

The ninja holding the boy removed the kuni from his throat and kicked him, sending him running back to his crying mother.

"How long will you last, Saylin Miyakoe? Will you fight us, or cower before us like the others before you?" He asked in an amused, delighted tone.

"I've heard of you three, you have no shame or pride to murder and abduct people the way you do." Saylin replied, getting into a fighting stance, "I choose to fight!"

"You are a brave, I'll go easy on you." Said the ninja who had held the young boy hostage, "if you wish to learn something about fighting, watch carefully."

That ninja made three simple hand signs hand signs, and rushed forward. Saylin sprinted to her right, knowing he meant to somehow paralyze and knock her out like he did the other two sand ninja they captured. A blue light shot out from his hands. When Saylin saw the light out of the corner of her eye, she leapt into the air. The bolt missed her by a hair's breath, hitting a man behind her, making him drop to the ground like a ton of lead.

"Someone take him and get out of here! Call the Kazekage, or the black ops!" Saylin ordered the crowd, making the hand signs for a clone justu. They fled down the road, screaming.

As she was making the last sign for the jutsu, one of the other two ninja collided with her. Saylin cried out in surprise as he slammed her against the ground.

"You are smart, but not smart enough!" He shouted, trying the paralyze jutsu. Saylin pushed herself out of his tackle and jumped behind him, making the signs for a fire jutsu. Suddenly, five kuni rushed at her, and pinned her against a wall, one hitting her in the process.

Saylin let out blood curdling scream as one of the sharp knives pierced her right leg. She gasped, feeling short of breath, blood flowing down her knee. For a second time, they had attacked her before she could finish a jutsu.

"So much for the sand village's best graduating ninja." The tallest one snickered, putting emphases on 'best'. "I'll paralyze her." He said to the other ninja. To Saylin he said, "You are a horrible ninja, you can't even…" He rambled as he started again, remaking the paralyze jutsu hand signs.

Saylin struggled to breath normally. She had a gash in her leg that was six inches across and half an inch deep. It bled hard, and soon, her leg was soaked in blood.

"_Get a hold of yourself!"_ She commanded herself, searching for a way to get her off the wall. Saylin felt a piece of sharp wood that was chipped off underneath her left foot. She used chakara to attach it to her foot, and kicked it forward, aiming for the talking one. Saylin released her chakara on the wood when her leg was straight. The shattered wood torpedoed towards him and slashed through his hands. It successfully disturbed his chakara flow and splintered his fingers before hitting him in the face.

"Have a taste of your own medicine!" Saylin snapped between pants. She pushed with her good leg, but couldn't get off the wall. The kuni that held her hands and legs in place were driven in too deeply into the wall for her to do anything. The talking ninja screamed and fell down in pain but disappeared with a loud "Poof!" _"A solid shadow clone?"_ she thought, _"Then where's the real one?"_

With another poof, the real ninja appeared in front of her, smirking indigenously. With no other cunning tricks to try, outnumbered, and out of her league, Saylin bowed her head in defeat.

"Very nice. You use your head in battle, but it wasn't enough this time." He chuckled, "I believe I win," he hissed in a sickeningly sweet voice, his face right next to hers, "Good night." He whispered.

Saylin remembered feeling a rage towards him consisting of her utmost anger and disgust. She wanted nothing more than to rip herself from the wall and punch him, but she couldn't do anything to stop him from knocking her out. Before he paralyzed her, she could have sworn she felt something soft rush around her right hand harden. Before she could see what it was, Saylin felt blinding pain in her stomach, one that made everything fade to black.


	5. Ch 5 Loyalty's Price and an Angel's Face

Hi people! Sorry I didn't update for so long. I went on vacation for awhile, but I did not forget you all. When I got back, the Internet was down for a looooooong time and it only just let me back on to post. I apologize again for the long break. Please read and review and, before I forget, thanks to all who have already reviewed!

**Ch. 5 Chakara Bracelet, Ralaki Herbs, and Sand Village Jutsus Behind It All**

When Saylin woke up and forced herself to open her eyes, she saw nothing but darkness. Panicked, she turned her head quickly from side to side searching for some clue to indicate where she was. _"What's going on? Where am I? Am I blind?"_ She asked herself while blinking furiously.

Saylin soon noticed her hands were chained to opposite ends of a wall. Sighing, she noted that this was to keep her from using a jutsu to fight or escape. Her feet were also chained together but remained on the ground. Saylin closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, clearing her mind and momentarily ignoring her fears. As she became more aware of her surroundings, Saylin realized that there was something itchy on her right hand. Annoyed that she couldn't itch it with her other hand, Saylin flicked her right hand out a few times.

Whatever was around her wrist slipped off and fell onto the ground. It hit the floor with a 'clunk' and echoed around the room, as if Saylin was in a cave. Squinting at the object, Saylin could just make out a tan bracelet. _"Why would someone put that on my wrist?"_ She thought frustrated, _"And why did they have to make it so itchy?"_

The more she stared the bracelet the more she felt it had an unknown quality. Saylin warily concentrated on the bracelet, ignoring everything else around her. As she examined the bracelet a thin, neon blue line of chakara string hazily appeared. It ran from the bracelet and lead out somewhere away from Saylin like a ball of thread. _"What the heck is that? How did it get here?"_

Saylin tried to move her legs to push herself off the wall. Her right leg burned and she yelped, remembering the kuni wound in her thy. There was a hardening scab forming over it, but it wasn't helping the explosion of pain that erupted from her knee. _"How on earth am I still alive with that?"_ She demanded before noticing the careless healing spell that had stopped it from bleeding, _"At least whoever put me here still wants me alive."_

"Rise and shine." Said an anonymous deep voice.

"Who are you?" muttered Saylin fiercely. That voice sounded familiar…

"My name is Akito." Said the tenor, lighting the room up with a candle.

"You are-" Saylin gasped.

"What, surprised?" Asked Akito, now being recognized as the talkative ninja who knocked her out earlier.

"Where am I? What do you want with me?" Saylin demanded, trying to find her lost courage. Her voice was powerful but her face betrayed her, and she looked like a frightened rabbit.

Akito's face twisted into an impish grin as he flashed a set of pointed, yellow teeth. "You are at the Desert Burial Grounds. As for what I want, it depends on the choice you make. Tell us your village's jutsus and live, or don't and die like the two noble idiots who have already passed through here." He said, pointing to a few bloodstains on the ground.

Saylin's eyes widened and she didn't trust herself to speak. She forgot how to speak.

"If you can't decide right now, we will give you till tonight to pick; we are being generous. You were a fair fighter and you deserve a chance. The other two ninja didn't even blink, and just stood shaking in front of us. Tonight though, it would be beneficial to have your mind made up. Remember, helping us would be most rewarding…" His voice trailed off, eyes gleaming.

Saylin didn't respond, but tears silently escaped her eyes and trickled down her face. _"I will never give up the secrets of my village."_ She thought, her hands becoming clammy and sweaty when she thought about her future.

"Aw, don't cry now! It's not that hard a decision to make." Akito scoffed, "If you chose to give up your village's secrets, I will make you one of my team. We can give you any jutsu you want to know for this little price. I think a pretty girl like you would want something like that. You could have a future where you could do whatever you want when you want to. If you have any questions about what we are offering you, Haku is outside the door. He will also bring you some water later." He said, leaving Saylin alone with the candle still lit.

For hours, Saylin thought about what was happening and debated what to do. _"If I don't tell them, they will kill me! If I do tell them, they will make me one of them. Are they lying? Even if I tell them, they'll probably kill me anyways!"_For a long time, she franticly anticipated her fate at the hands of Akito and his men knowing escape was inconceivable.

Haku later came in with a small glass of cold water as Akito had promised.

"Haku?" Saylin asked softly, afraid of the broad shouldered, tattooed man in front of her.

"What do you want, girl?" He spat, Saylin wincing at his ferocity.

"What village are you from? How did you meet Akito?" She blurted out quickly, her voice quivering.

"I am from the village hidden in the ice like Zazu, the other one of us." He smiled, as if he were remembering the best day of his life.

Saylin's eyes widened, _"That would explain the paralyze justus! Ice ninja freeze and/or knock out people and kill them in their sleep!"_

"I joined Akito," He continued, "because he offered me the secrets of the rock clan who are very interesting group of ninja. Anything else?" He asked in a delighted tone.

"Why do you want the secrets of the sand village?" Asked Saylin, trusting her voice upon seeing how upbeat Haku.

"Can't tell you that missy… until you join us." He replied, smiling darkly as if he were thinking about something fairly amusing. "Will you? Pretty please?" He asked with an evil smile.

Saylin looked him straight in the eyes, suddenly confident. "The deadline is tonight, correct?" He didn't respond but clenched his fists. "I will not tell you till then." Saylin continued, fear now replacing her confidence. _"You idiot!"_ She screamed at herself inside her head.

Haku sighed and stood up, the water held in his hands. "Drink your water."

"I'm not thirsty." Saylin replied in a hostile tone before closing her mouth and refusing to open it.

"Drink!" He roared. With his free hand, Haku pinched Saylin's nose shut. With his other hand, Haku put the cup with water in it up to Saylin's mouth. Saylin struggled to hold her breath. She felt her face turned red, and her lungs burned and screamed for oxygen.

After a full minute of holding her breath, Saylin finally opened her mouth to breath. She tried to suck in air but Haku tipped the cup up, sending the water down Saylin's throat and windpipe. Saylin took it in, sputtering and choking on both water and air.

"You are making things too difficult for yourself. Just do what we want you to do. You can't win now." He growled grimly, as if to suggest something extraordinarily bad had just happened. Haku walked out of the room, he too leaving the candle lit. _"Now I know they'll keep me alive if I give them the jutsus."_

About thirty minutes after he left, Saylin began to feel unusually weary and tired. Her throbbing head sagged against her shoulder; she had a grueling headache. _"What's wrong with me? I didn't eat anything, but why am I feeling so out of sorts?"_She wondered while she waited for Akito, Haku, and Zazu to return, growing weaker by the minute. _"Well, that bracelet means someone is looking for me… so I can't do anything till I find out who it is. It might be the sand village!"_ She thought hopefully.

One hour later, Akito re-entered the room, Haku and Zazu not with him. He held a vile and a kuni in one hand, plus a brush, ink, and a scroll in the other. Saylin gulped and felt uncontrollable tears wash over her face. Saylin could barely see them; everything was fuzzy as if in a dream.

"Saylin? Can you still hear me?" Akito asked cheerfully, pleased at her state of confusion.

"Uhh…" she groaned in response.

"The water from earlier had been mixed in with some ralaki herbs. I'm sure you will recall them, no smell, no taste, and very deadly. We got it in from a nice old lady at your own village, just to give you a taste of home. It will spread throughout your body and kill you if you do not do as we wish. We have the antidote that can stop it." Akito held up the green vile, and shook it. It was blurry to Saylin, and she squinted, everything slid in and out of focus.

"Join us and live." Akito continued.

Saylin was silent while more tears poured down her face and onto the floor below her.

"Well?" Demanded Akito, turning from certainty to contempt; "I'm only going to ask you once!" His voice was growing dangerously low.

Saylin didn't speak so she shook her head, the ground swaying beneath her.

"Girl! Tell us your village's secrets!" Roared Akito, slapping Saylin across her face, new blood trickling down her chin. It mixed with her tears, turning them into a strange, opaque red and clear liquid.

Saylin stared down at the bracelet. The chakara line was getting thicker. _"They're getting closer... whoever they are."_ She told herself with new determination as she closed her mouth and refused to open it.

"Talk, girl!" He yelled, stalking forward to slap her again. Saylin gritted her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut, preparing for the blow. She could hear each slow step he took, his shoes clicking angrily against the stone floor. It was unbearable. The noise of Akito's shoes stopped abruptly, but no blow came. Saylin opened her eyes and stared in front of her, perplexed. A wall of sand had appeared in front of Saylin, blocking Akito's path to her.

"Lay another hand on Saylin, and I will make your death even more torturous and painful than it was going originally going to be." Snarled a deadly voice from the shadows. Even before her memory clicked the name, Saylin's heart began to beat fast.

Saylin looked around for the person who said her name. Stepping into the light came Gaara, green eyes flaring with rage.

"Gaara the demon of the desert." Akito snickered as he held up the potion holding up the potion. "You heard me. If this shatters, Saylin's life automatically ends. It would take too long to make a new one, and no one else knows how to make this!"

Gaara's eyes stopped burning and he sighed. "I was going to save their death till after yours, but I don't make promises to my enemies." Gaara hissed, holding up his hand then closing it. Two people's screams filled the empty room. Akito said nothing, but his hands twitched angrily. Gaara stared at Saylin, then down at the bracelet on the floor.

While Gaara wasn't paying attention to Akito, he ran forward, making hand signs for a paralyze jutsu. Gaara flicked his hand dully outward, seemingly bored. A cloud of sand appeared, surrounding the whole room as Gaara moved forward. "Gaara! Get out of here! He'll kill you!" Saylin cried, her head throbbing harder.

"I don't think so." Gaara appeared by her side. Quickly, he broke the chains on her hands. Saylin fell on the ground, forgetting the injury on her leg from before. She groaned, unable to move her arms either from being stretched all day. Gaara picked up the bracelet and it melted into sand. _"Gaara put the bracelet on me?"_Saylin realized slowly.

Akito only laughed maniacally and turned around, screeching, "You fools! You want to die together?"

"You are the only fool who will die here." Answered Gaara, helping Saylin stand on one foot. Her heart began to pound, something that didn't help her weariness. _"Of all times, why now? What is this strange feeling?" _she thought, feeling more alert as blood circulated through her arms and legs.

Akito began to make more hand signs, but Gaara ignored him. He turned around and politely asked Saylin, "Did he do anything else to you besides making you drink the poison, and slice you with that kuni?"

"Gaara! He is going to paralyze you! Run!" She pleaded, grabbing his cloak. Gaara helped Saylin stand and he whispered, "I am going to be fine. Don't worry about me."

"Try talking to this!" Shouted Akito, throwing a ball of crackling blue light at Gaara. Saylin screamed and held on to him, but nothing hit Gaara. She looked around and saw that the sand wall from before had morphed into a protective ball around them, blocking the jutsu.

"Your only concern right now is to stay alive." Gaara whispered in a soothing voice despite the furious situation.

"Ok." Saylin felt so weak, she could only muster the strength to whisper.

"Face me, you coward!" Demanded Akito.

Gaara stood up the sand ball melting onto the ground. Even though he took a fighting stance, Gaara still stood protectively in front of Saylin as if he was a lion defending his young. Akito ran forward and Gaara flicked his hand outward. The sand shot forward and struck Akito, pushing him back against a wall. Gaara urgently manipulated the sand to give himself the vile of antidote from Akito's pocket. He snatched it out of the air and closed his other hand. The sand, which pinned Akito against the wall, suddenly squeezed Akito like a viper when it has prey. Akito suddenly exploded with a poof. Gaara remained in a battle position and stood like a statue, his eyes staring intensely at the wall where Akito was. When the sand cleared, no blood was shed. Gaara swore and Saylin dimly heard someone say, "You may have won this battle, but I will be back! Saylin will die for this!" Gaara immediately turned around and sat down in front of Saylin.

"Saylin, drink this." Gaara ordered, propping her up so that her head rested on his knee. Saylin forced herself to open her eyes, but she couldn't see out of them. It was like trying to see through a window, only the window was being rained on.

"Gaara, I can't breath." Saylin whispered, her voice was high and thin. She tried breath but her breath came in quick and shallow gasps. Gaara unscrewed the cap to the liquid and tipped the bitter green mass down her throat. Saylin let out a shuddered cry, and closed her eyes.

Before she fainted, Saylin thought she felt Gaara reached down so his forehead touched hers and whispered in her ear, "Saylin… I-I think I love you, please don't die."


	6. Ch 6 A Visit With the Kazekage

Ch. 6 is finally up! Sorry about the giant wait! Please read and review! Thanks a bunch!

**Ch. 6 A Visit With the Kazekage**

Saylin awoke on soft bed in a brightly lighted room. She blinked and tried to sit up, her head buzzed angrily. _"Was that all a dream?"_ She attempted to move her legs but they responded in sending her waves of pain up her back.

"Ah!" Saylin cried, wincing._ "I guess not."_ Saylin gently touched her injured leg, surprised to feel gauze bandages on it.

"Saylin Miyakoe, it is an honor to see you alive and well." An elderly man said, bowing in front of her. Saylin's eyes bulged. _"It's the Kazekage! What's he doing here? Where am I? Am I still dreaming?"_

"Err… thank you, Lord Kazekage." Saylin exclaimed, "What's going on? Where am I? What happened? Where is Gaara? Wha-"

The Kazekage rose his hand in the air to silence her and he replied, "Calm down, I will explain everything later. You need to rest. I will send for you tomorrow. You are too weak to do anything in the state you are in right now." He walked over to the doorway and paused in front of it. "For now, go back to sleep, you have a long day ahead of you." He walked out of the room and began talking to a lady in a white and red uniform outside. Saylin could only make out the words no visitors… must sleep…

Saylin groaned, her eyes wide. _"I'm in a hospital." _She realized in horror. Saylin tried to sit up more abruptly this time. Doing so sent more spasms of pain up her leg and back. Saylin straightened pain stricken before falling back against the soft pillow. She was unconscious before her head touched the pillow.

The next time Saylin woke up, it was late afternoon the next day; the sun had just started setting. She yawned and stretched, feeling more like her normal self. She sat up, excruciatingly slowly, so not to faint like the last time she moved her leg. Saylin had much more success, and she congratulated herself for sitting upright without falling over. She noticed that she was wearing her normal clothes, not the gruesome hospital garments. Saylin sighed in relief then became disgusted when she saw her clothes were bloodstained. _"How long have I been out?"_ She looked around, trying to entertain herself with something that didn't require any physical movement.

To entertain herself, Saylin looked around the room. Taped to the door were her bio, ninja number, and other means of identification. The ceiling was painted a blinding white, unlike the wall's lavender counterpart. There were bits of calligraphy on the walls that said stuff like hope, love, healing, and faith.

Someone knocked on the door, waking Saylin from her particular fascination with the hospital room.

"Hello?" Saylin asked warily.

Two broad shouldered ninja walked into the tiny room. "Are you Saylin Miyakoe?" They asked in unison.

"Yes, what's going on?" Saylin asked quietly.

"We are here to escort you to the Kazekage's office. Come with us, please." Saylin didn't get up.

"What's wrong?" One of them asked, noticing her hesitation.

"Erm… I can't walk. I'm going to need crutches, or something. I can't move my leg, there is a huge cut in it." Saylin gestured to her bandaged leg.

The other ninja felt around the other side of the door, and pulled out a pair of crutches. The other jonin helped her up and with her newly found crutches Saylin walked out of the room.

It took Saylin a lot longer than she would have thought to finally get the hang of walking with crutches. She lost her balance twice, and the ninja had to watch her every move so she wouldn't double over and fall on her face. Her leg still hurt tremendously when she walked, sending jets of pain up her leg every time she took a step with it, but it wasn't like last time.

The jonin escorted Saylin down the busy road, and into the main ninja headquarters building. They caught a lot of surprised looks, and a few comments. Some people started talking among themselves while others shouted, "Thank the lord! Saylin is alive!" or "Oh my god! Look at that child, is she dying?"

The Kazekage was waiting for them in the front of the building, dressed in his signature red and white robe. He nodded signaling the jonin to leave.

"Follow me. We have a lot to discuss." He gestured to a door.

Saylin nodded, and hobbled into the small room.

"Sit." He pulled up a chair for her and sat down at his desk.

"Thanks." Saylin plopped into the chair, putting the crutches on the ground as the Kazekage poured her some warm tea. Saylin eyed the cup nervously but the Kazekage only laughed and said, "It's not poisoned. You have nothing to worry about."

Saylin took a sip, and felt instantly relaxed. It was then that she realized how hungry she was. _"When was the last time I ate?"_

"I promised to explain everything now, so now I will." The Kazekage started, making sure Saylin was listening. "You were captured and held hostage by a mysterious jutsu copy ninja named Akito. He wants to learn our village's secrets so he can try to overpower and take over our village. The riot from three days ago made us find out where he was hiding out. I sent my best ninja to find you, but when we got there, my son had already found you." The Kazekage's face crinkled in disgust when he talked about Gaara in a heroic way, "We brought you to the hospital and he told us what had happened." He looked her in the eyes before continuing, "You will need bodyguards till Akito is found-"

"He got away?" Saylin interrupted, completely alarmed.

The Kazekage sighed, "Yes, he did. He also swore an oath to kill you so you will need protection from now on. Here are your candidates, see which ones you want that are available." He reached into his desk, and pulled out a wad of note cards with many ninja on the front cover and a list of their names.

After browsing through some of them Saylin thought, _"I don't want any of them to be my bodyguards! I don't want 'guards', 'escorts', or 'sheepdogs'!"_

"Is Gaara on this list?" Saylin asked politely.

"No, why?" asked the Kazekage suspiciously.

"He rescued me, and, if I wasn't about to die, he could have easily killed Akito." Saylin mentioned.

"Your point?" Asked the Kazekage, confused.

"I would like him to be my guard because he knows Akito more than any of the others and has a better chance of destroying him." Saylin replied coolly.

"My lord." Asked a man, appearing in front of the door.

"Yes Kyo, what is it?" Inquired the Kazekage.

"Gaara is here to see you. He has been asking for a Saylin Miyakoe. Something about being a bodyguard."

_"Can Gaara read my mind?"_ Saylin thought shocked. _"That was ironic."_

"Send him in." Ordered the Kazekage.

"Yes, my lord." Kyo ended, then walked back to the other room.

"More tea?" Asked the Kazekage.

"Yes please." Saylin replied gratefully.

Gaara walked in, "My lord Kazekage." He bowed.

"What is it, Gaara?" Asked the Kazekage shortly.

"I would like to volunteer my services to being Saylin's bodyguard." He announced, not looking at Saylin.

"That is up to Saylin." Replied the Kazekage.

"I'd like Gaara as my bodyguard." Saylin said taking a sip of tea.

"Alright, it's settled then. Gaara, you have been assigned to be Saylin's bodyguard. Akito, as you know, is looking for her, and won't stop until he kills her. Your job is to protect her at all costs. Where she goes, you must follow, and you must not leave her side. Do you understand?" The Kazekage told him sternly.

"Of course, father." Gaara replied, glancing at Saylin for the first time in what seemed to Saylin like an eternity. She forgot how much she missed him and her heart began to pound as she saw him.

"You two may go now." He said, waving towards the door.

Saylin picked up her crutches and hobbled out of the room, Gaara close behind her. They didn't speak till they got out of the Kazekage's building. Even then, Gaara's features remained as immobile as stone.

"Gaara, are you alright?" She asked him cautiously, cocking her head to one side.

"Yeah… fine. What about you? You're the one that almost died." He asked casually.

"Great, thanks to you." She said gratefully, _"He has amazing green eyes..."_

"Where are we going?" He asked dully.

"I think home would be nice." She muttered, remembering her small, dark, messy, comforting, house.

He didn't speak to her, not even when they reached the house. Saylin looked at him and asked, "What do you want for dinner?"

"Not hungry." He replied dryly as he opened the door for her.

Saylin entered her house and briskly wobbled over to the refrigerator, searching for some rice. Luckily, there was enough for one serving left. She whooped for joy at the sight of food, and heated it up. As soon as it was done, she began to gobble it down her throat. It burned her tongue and taste buds, boiling hot from being the microwave.

"Don't eat too much. You'll puke." His voice was devoid of all emotion; he seemed unable to look into her eyes.

"Is something bothering you again?" She asked him after swallowing a particularly large mouthful of flaming rice.

"It's complicated." He grumbled as he stared down at his hands, turning a light shade of pink.

"Is it me? What's wrong Gaara? Please talk." Saylin whispered urgently as she standing up. She, forgetting her wounded leg, screamed, and crumpled on the ground, everything going back once again.

"Saylin!" Gaara shouted, rushing to her side.


	7. Ch 7 Confessions Under Cover of Darkness

Ch. 7 I'm not good at writing romance stuffs, I apologize in advance if this is cheesy- I tried my best.

**Ch. 7 Confessions Under the Cover of Darkness (A.K.A. The Moment You All Have Been Waiting For****, lolz)**

Saylin woke up three hours later in her bedroom. _"Why am I the one always going unconscious?"_ She sat sprawled on her bed staring at the ceiling. Someone was sitting on the side of her bed, his or her shadow casting darkness over her face. The person stared at the moon with their feet crossed.

"Gaara?" Saylin whispered hazily, sitting up straight without much protest from her leg.

"You're awake." Was all he said, eyes still glued to the rising moon. Saylin's mind flashed back to their brief talk before she fainted.

"What's bothering you? I'm sorry, if I did something stupid. Please, just talk to me." She pleaded, rekindling their last conversation.

"It's not you, Saylin, it's me. I don't know how to tell you about this, it's strange." He muttered, turning bright red.

"What do you mean?" She asked gently, moving closer to him. Saylin and Gaara's faces were only a few inches apart from each other's. Saylin felt her heart pound, which made her dizzy. She swayed from left to right, too tired to support herself. Saylin fell back and prepared herself mentally before she hit the wall.

The impact never came because Gaara caught her before she hit the wall. Saylin's eyes widened as he held her hands, clutching them firmly until she was balanced. When she was balanced, he slowly trailed his hands from hers up her arms, across her shoulder blades, grazing them across her neck, and fastening them around her back. Tugging on her softly, he pulled her closer to him.

"Gaara?" Saylin's heart thumped loudly, as he held her head against his chest.

"When Satsu told me that you were fighting the ninja… I panicked. All the way to the square I could think 'not her' I was worried for the first time in my life. I don't know how to say it… but I can't stop thinking about you. When I saw Akito use that jutsu on you, I was overcome with fear of loosing you. Then when he said you drank the poison…" He held her tightly to him, and closed his eyes, tucking his head over hers.

"Gaara… I feel the same way. I think…" Saylin realized, amazed to find what she had been feeling for him all along… was love. "I love you, Gaara." She whispered in a voice that only Gaara could hear.

"What?" Gaara asked in amazement, pulling her back from him so he could see her eyes shining in the darkness.

"I love you." She proclaimed loudly, turning a rosy shade of pink, her heart racing once again.

"If that's what you call it… I think I love you too." He whispered back, moving close to her again. This time, he ran his nose up and down her cheek. He breathed in deeply, a small smile forming on his lips. "I finally understand…" His voice trailed off, as he hugged her.

"Understand what?" Saylin asked, blushing even harder, face turning red like she had a fever.

"This thing you people call love." He whispered back, "I guess Kankuro was right, love is truly amazing-"

"So that's what you two were talking about when we were making dinner!" Saylin accused, her mind flashing back to when she had gone over Gaara's house.

Gaara cupped Saylin's head in his hands, forcing her voice to trail off. "May I?" He asked, the sweet scent of his breath lightly breezing against her skin. Saylin nodded. Saylin held her breath and closed her eyes, her heart pounding like a jackhammer. Gaara kissed her softly on her lips.

Saylin felt like she was remembering the best day of her life, only she was living it. Her longing to stay close to him grew tremendously as she pressed her lips against his. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and held on tightly, not willing to let go. Gaara sucked on Saylin's bottom lip and his arms dropped around her lower back.

Saylin broke away, and breathed in deeply. She placed her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat, sliding her arms around his torso. She was simply content being near him again. Gaara put his head on top of hers and wrapped her arms around her waist as he inhaled the sweet scent of her hair.

"I have never felt this way before, it's so… perfect. If I'm dreaming, I'll kill myself." Saylin sighed.

Gaara chuckled. "You are awake." He whispered, ruffling her short hair with his big hand.

Saylin yawned, her nose resting against his throat. Gaara looked at her and said, "You need to sleep in order to get better." He tried to stand up but Saylin squeezed him to her, winding her hands together around his torso to form an unbreakable bond.

"I'll be right here. Don't worry." He assured her, sitting back down as Saylin reluctantly let go of him to snuggle under the covers. She smiled at him; he was sitting on the bed the way she found him in earlier, only this time, he was staring at her, as if she were his moon in the night. Saylin sprang up as agile is a cat and wound her hands around his rock hard stomach, pulling him down to sleep next to her like he was some gigantic teddy bear. Even after Saylin fell asleep, Gaara held her tightly. He stayed awake and kept guard silently against any enemy that may come.

When Saylin slept, she spoke in her sleep. Every few minutes or so, she would say something along the lines of 'I love you Gaara,' or 'don't leave me' or some other rant, but mostly about her affection for him. Since Gaara couldn't sleep, he listened to her frequent outbursts.

When Saylin woke up the next morning, Gaara was still there. He was staring at her perplexedly but smiling smugly as if to suggest he knew some inside joke.

"Morning." She mumbled, but confused to see his devious smirk. "What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing." He muttered, a guilty grin spreading across his face.

"Gaara, what's going on?" She threatened, eyes glazed over with evil.

"Are you sure you want to know?" He asked fearfully, shrinking in thoughts of her wrath.

"Yes! Why are you looking at me like that?" She demanded again.

"Did you know you talk in your sleep?" He asked quickly while watching her jaw drop and her eyes budge.

"What about it?" She snapped, flushing scarlet. _"Oh snap…"_ The fear she had of herself was crushing her confidence.

"You… well, you said a lot…" He snickered.

"As in?" Saylin glared at him darkly.

"You said that you loved me." Saylin looked at him as if to say 'that isn't so bad." He continued slowly, as if it was hard to say without laughing "But you also said a lot of other stuff too." He smiled at her, but she was looking away, grabbing at her covers, thoroughly embarrassed. "They were fascinating. I didn't know you thought pancakes came alive and flew around the room on Fridays."

Saylin could have passed for a tomato. Gaara tried to stifle his smile, his lips quivering. For his efforts, he earned himself another dark glare from Saylin. Because of her death glare, he burst out laughing. Saylin joined him every now and then, but she didn't let him see it.


	8. Ch 8 The Desert's Haven

I've had a hard time wording this chapter and even now, the wording is still off. I've also been distracted with three other fanfictions I want to post. All of my thinking/ role playing time was dedicated to those.

**Ch. 8 The Desert's Heaven**

"Hungry?" Gaara asked Saylin casually once he was finished laughing.

"Yeah." Saylin muttered, hiding a smirk from him as she turned away.

"I'll make breakfast while you get ready. School is canceled because of Akito. All of the ninja in the sand village are assigning groups for people to travel in until he is found. No one is to walk the streets alone anymore." He replied. Saylin's jaw dropped in disbelief.

"What do you want for breakfast?" He asked her, changing the topic. Gaara didn't want Saylin to dwell on thoughts of Akito.

"You cook?" She stared at him, astounded, raising a surprised eyebrow.

"Temari has been teaching me some basic recipes." Gaara shrugged.

"And the house isn't burnt down?" Asked Saylin suspiciously, with a hint of sarcasm.

"Nope." Gaara answered proudly, walking into the kitchen. "I'll surprise you with something."

"Deal." Saylin muttered, picking up her crutches, closing and locking the door behind him. She crawled over to her drawers, for once having trouble deciding what to wear.

After a long debate, she picked out her outfit. First, she chose her cerulean blue V-neck shirt that was tight except for its medium short, baggy sleeves. Next, she pulled out her swishy black pants which went down to her kneecaps. Feeling her way deeper into the draw, she pulled out her next article of clothing; a black ribbon with red and silver flowers embroidered on it. Finally, she flung out her underpants, undershirt, and socks. She didn't care about them. Nobody would see them.

Before entering the bathroom, she picked up her sweet smelling shampoo and conditioner, plus a floral bar of soap from Satsu, who gave it to her for her 14th birthday.

Saylin's shower was quite troublesome. First, she had to reach up and turn the knobs, something that wasn't easy to do with an injured leg. Then, since she couldn't stand without her crutches, she had to sit down in a position that made her whole body sore, so her leg wouldn't get wet. Finally, when she had to turn off the water, her other leg refused to move because it had fallen asleep. It took her quite a few minutes to finally pull herself together and drag herself out of the shower.

After drying herself off with a towel, she carefully slipped on her outfit. She examined herself in the mirror, to make sure she looked nice. Saylin never really bothered with this kind of girly habit, but, now she felt the need to look perfect for Gaara. After testing out her smile, she half hopped, half leaned on her crutches and hobbled opened the door. She collided with Gaara, who had just finished placing breakfast on the table.

"Good morning." He laughed, giving her a tight hug and a light kiss on the forehead. "Breakfast is served."

Saylin looked at the table, a steaming hot plate of mango sticky rice was waiting for her… her favorite food.

"Gaara… you didn't have to…" her voice trailed off while he smiled down at her. He sat down across from her bowl, leaving Saylin staring at him. He unplugged his sand gourd, and used his chakra to influence the sand to swirl around her. Saylin watched as he moved it in complicated motions, completely mesmerized her as he worked with it. It seemed to pull at her, beckoning her to the table where Gaara and her breakfast waited for her.

She let it lead her to her seat. Saylin sat down and the sand pushed her in. She slowly gathered a few grains of rice on her chopsticks and took a bite of her breakfast. It was delicious. _"Well, Gaara can cook. Who would have thought?"_Saylin savored her breakfast, eating it slowly, tasting every bite before swallowing. She was halfway done when she noticed that Gaara didn't have anything to eat. For the entire time, he had been playing absent-mindedly with the sand.

"Aren't you hungry?" Saylin asked him, putting down her chopsticks.

"No." He replied flatly, still playing with the sand, refusing to look her in her eyes.

"You always say 'I'm not hungry' but you are. There is enough here for two." Saylin picked up her chopsticks, slid some rice on them, and brought it up to Gaara's closed mouth.

"Saylin, I'm fine." He protested, eyeing the rice blankly.

"Liar." Saylin replied, forcing the rice into his momentarily opened mouth.

Gaara chewed it slowly then swallowed it. Saylin smiled victoriously, pulling the chopsticks out of his mouth. Gaara sighed in defeat, and, using his sand, brought himself a pair of chopsticks seemingly out of thin air. Saylin stared at him with that 'I told you so' gleam in her eyes. She moved the bowl into the middle of the table and said, "The best meals are always shared with the people you love the most."

Gaara seemed to enjoy breakfast as much as she did, even if he didn't show it. They both ate slowly. Neither one talked though, there was only one single identical thought that hung on both their minds.

"What do you want to do today?" Gaara asked her, finally breaking the silence after he finished eating.

"I don't know… do you know some place out of the public eye? I don't want to deal with the 'oh my god she's alive' and that stuff just yet." Saylin suggested.

"I know many places that are quiet and unoccupied." Gaara replied, placing his hands underneath his chin.

"Where?" Saylin asked eagerly.

Gaara smiled with that 'I'm not telling' face and said, "Come with me." He walked over to her side of the table and helped her stand. He supported her with one hand around her waist, the other holding her hand, which had found itself around his neck. Saylin eyed her crutches, but Gaara stopped her before she could even suggest bringing them. "You won't need those for where we are going. You'll probably be sitting down for most of the time." Saylin eyed him strangely, but he ignored her; the sand formed a ball around them.

"Umm, Gaara? What's going on?" She asked him, turning red.

"Close your eyes." He ordered, his voice soft and soothing in the darkness, making Saylin's heart flutter.

Saylin obeyed him and shut her eyes. For a second, she felt like there was no ground, and the only thing keeping her from falling was Gaara. It was just for an instant, but it felt real enough to make her believe it was true.

"You can open them now." He hissed quietly in her ear.

Saylin opened her eyes to find herself in a field; one filled with grass, sand, and flowers as far as the eye could see.

"I came here once on a mission, it was so beautiful; it reminded me of you." Gaara said, making Saylin blush, "You always said you liked wild flowers."

Saylin looked at her surroundings, mouth open in awe. There were blooming white and orange flowers where life needed to be added to the dull green reeds that stuck up awkwardly out of the ground. The sand, which was bright yellow-gold, complemented both the sand and the flowers. After eyeing the amazing scene, Saylin slumped down on the ground and whispered, "Thank you, Gaara. This place is beautiful."

Gaara offered her a hand to stand up. Saylin frowned at it, and tugged on the sleeve of his shirt, signaling that she wanted him to sit down. He bent down in front of her, his face a hairs breath away from hers. Saylin locked her arms around his back and pulled him in for a kiss. Doing so, she slipped on a rock, and she fell off balance down a hill.

Instinctively, Saylin squeezed Gaara and held him tightly. They rolled down the small hill, not letting the other slip away. When they hit the bottom, Gaara landed on top of Saylin.

She gasped once they hit the bottom, making Gaara look at her with concern. Smiling to show him she was ok, Saylin flipped him over so she was on top of him. He didn't protest, and lay sprawled on the ground, grinning up at her.

Slowly, he reached up and pressed his lips against hers, sucking on her bottom lip. Saylin closed her eyes and enjoyed the hammering sensation in her chest. He drew back, and lay still on the sand. Saylin still had him pinned down, her hands pushing on his. She lifted her them to snuggle in his arms. He wrapped his arms around her back tightly for a brief moment. Saylin squeaked as he flipped them both over so that he was on top of her.

Saylin smiled and laughed, running her fingers through Gaara's blood red hair. Gaara sighed and relaxed, his full body weight pressing down on her. With a mischievous smile on her face, Saylin sat up, as if to kiss him. Gaara remained immobile like she had, but he didn't get a kiss. Instead, Saylin licked his nose, and giggled as a confused expression crossed his face. While he was puzzled, Saylin kissed him back, making Gaara turn a light shade of pink.

The sand slowly began to swirl around them again, which entranced Saylin. His hands wrapped around her neck and one of his hands gently coaxed

Saylin closed her eyes and let her mind wander. She found it hard to think about anything but Gaara. Frustrated, she tested herself to see if it was possible not to. First, she tried to concentrate on the clouds. That made her think about how Gaara watched over her and protected her. Saylin inwardly frowned and tried again. This time, Saylin thought about the grass. It was green, just like Gaara's eyes. Saylin sighed and gave up.

When Saylin finally remembered the world around her, Gaara was sitting beside her, hands clasped behind his back. Saylin cocked her head picked a few flowers, picking out their petals, and tossing them into the sky. She blinked at the sun, and held her hand up to cover its rays from view.

"You are right." Saylin said suddenly.

"About what?" He asked.

"The moon. It is much better than the sun." Saylin explained.

Gaara laughed softly to himself. "You have an interesting way with words."

Saylin smiled, thinking about her night at Gaara's before she was captured. Still smiling she asked, "How's Temari doing?"

"She's fine. She was worried sick about you though." Gaara commented. "She almost tore your house down looking for you, until she found out you had been kidnapped and was taken _out_ of the village."

"Wow." Saylin said surprised. "Gaara?"

"Hrm?" He answered.

"How did you find me? The Kazekage sent a group of Jonin to find Akito. How did you get there before they did?"

"You already know part of the answer to that question already." Gaara replied, forming the sand into a hard, band.

"I know you somehow put that bracelet on me with a chakra string on it. But I still don't know how you did it." Saylin shrugged.

"The whole village heard about what happened in the town square in about three seconds. Once I heard 'Saylin' and 'fighting' in the same sentence, I ran to the market. When I got there, Akito was about to apperate out of the village. I put a homing device made out of sand and chakra around your wrist. Because I made it with my chakra, it would lead me wherever they took you." Gaara paused to see Saylin staring at him like he was crazy. His face turned grim before continuing.

"The Kazekage arrived, and I told him I was tracking you. He got mad and made Kankuro baby-sit me, thinking I was going to unleash my demon on them if I found you- go out of control. I persuaded Kankuro to make his puppet look like me while I ran off to find you."

Gaara stared bitterly at the ground. "It took me an hour to find the Desert Burial Grounds. Akito's henchmen told me everything, and they explained what he planned to do with the secrets of the Sand Village. I kept those idiots with me until Akito tempted me to kill them." Gaara shrugged.

"I thought you had died when you fainted. All the way out, I was afraid I got there too late. When you fainted... I thought you died. I brought you back to the village, meeting the Jonin on the way. You said my name once while you were unconscious, and that gave all of us hope. Everyone was in hysterics when we arrived at the village. They almost had a heart attack when they saw you." Gaara smiled, "You would have enjoyed the look on their faces."

When Gaara finished his biography, the sun was setting. Saylin's stomach demanded food in a particularly loud fashion. Gaara's eyes flickered down to her stomach than to her eyes.

"Temari and Kankuro have been asking about you. Why don't we stop by for home made meal?" He suggested

"Sure." Saylin replied, her stomach growling loudly again.


	9. Ch 9 A Friendly Reunion

Hi everyone! School's starting! Run for your life! lol. Please RXR! thanks!

**Ch. 9 A Friendly Reunion**

Gaara quickly transported Saylin and himself back to the Sand village. This time, instead of being in Saylin's house, they were in front of Gaara's house.

"Kankuro? Temari?" Gaara asked as he opened the door for Saylin.

"Gaara? Where were you this time? A visit with dad can't take you two days!" Rationalized Temari as she stomped towards the door. "In the name of all…" Temari's voice hushed and died away when she saw Saylin.

"Hi Temari!" Cheered Saylin in a normal tone, forgetting Temari didn't know she had lived.

"Oh. My. God. Saylin's alive!" Temari screamed, giving Saylin a bear hug.

Saylin wobbled uneasily on her crutches and was about to loose her balance and slip on the stone floor when Gaara used sand to catch Saylin and pry Temari away from her.

"What's going on?" Grumbled Kankuro as he walked over to the doorway.

"Hi Gaara. Oh, Saylin. Haven't seen you for a while" He stated dully, his hands in his pockets.

"What's wrong with you?" Screamed Temari, "Saylin almost died and all you can say is 'hi'. Glad to know you care about other people, Kankuro!"

"It's people like you that kill her with bear hugs and cooking…" Kankuro hissed under his breath.

"What was that?" Demanded Temari, glowering at her brother.

"Nothing!" Kankuro replied shortly.

"I have dinner ready, so who wants something to eat?" Asked Temari.

"Me!" Everyone said in unison.

There was spaghetti and meatballs for dinner tonight. Everyone cheered and talked as they always did except for Gaara was rather quiet and talked less than he usually did. He also never looked Kankuro in the eyes and stared at his food uncomfortably.

"Gaara?" Kankuro asked suspiciously.

"What?" Gaara answered, fiddling with his chopsticks.

"Is there something you want to share with us?" He demanded slyly, a knowing smirk plastered on his face.

"Not particularly." Gaara replied shortly, but his voice wasn't as rough as it usually was, he talked softly and without ferocity.

Kankuro stared at Gaara blankly for a few seconds, as if debating. A triumphant grin swept over his face.

"Gaara is in love with Saylin!" He randomly announced to the room.

Saylin turned a thousand shades of red and Gaara stared at his brother with wide eyes. Gaara and Saylin then stared at each other with an astounded how-on-earth-did-he-figure-that-out? look.

"What?" Temari cried, astounded, looking from Saylin to Gaara.

"How'd you know?" Gaara shot Kankuro annoyed glance as he spoke.

"Being a pervert has its advantages." He laughed, almost falling out of his chair.

"Is it true?" Cried Temari with hopeful, excited eyes as she turned to Saylin for an answer.

"Yes." Saylin responded automatically, staring at Gaara.

"Wow. I mean, I knew you two were friends, but I didn't know you two loved each other." Temari sputtered, her jaw dropping.

"This is awkward." Murmured Saylin, sliding down in her chair till her flushed face was the only thing visible.

"Forget this happened." Gaara quickly said, shaking his hands franticly.

Temari shrugged but Kankuro wasn't done. "So how was it? Is she a good kisser?"

Gaara stared at Kankuro incredulously and didn't respond. Kankuro then turned to Saylin as if to ask the same question but, before he could say anything else, Temari smacked Kankuro over the head. "Leave them alone, perv." She ordered.

"I'll do the dishes." Kankuro obeyed, taking everyone's plates and putting them in the dishwasher.

"So you're her body guard?" Asked Temari, "Dad told me you were someone's body guard, but he never mentioned to whom or why." Gaara nodded in response. "I guess we won't be seeing you that often then." She grumbled dully, "Who wants deserts?"

The conversation continued like this for a little while longer with deserts Temari had prepared. Later, Gaara went upstairs for a few moments to pack a bag for when he and Saylin left. Since he wouldn't be staying at his house often, Gaara needed some changes of clothes and items like his toothpaste and a tooth brush while he stayed over Saylin's house.

"Saylin?" Asked Temari, breaking the gauche silence while Gaara was packing.

"Hm?" Saylin responded, looking up from the hot cup of tea she had been staring at.

"Thank you." Temari whispered, her voice was almost not audible.

"What do you mean? I didn't do anything." Saylin answered with a shrug, wondering if she did something wrong.

"You've tamed him." Temari whispered, out of earshot from everyone else.

"Tamed who?" Saylin asked, confused, her eyes glazed over with confusion.

"Gaara. I don't know what it is, but I think you're rubbing off on him. He's… I don't know… softer… than he was before." Temari explained, gesturing with her hands.

"What makes you say that?" Saylin asked, she hadn't noticed Gaara's mood swings.

"He's been acting… not strangely, more concerned about others, kinder, more caring. I guess the demon has a harder time making its appearance when you're around." Temari said honestly.

Gaara then trudged down the stairs with one small brown leather suitcase- simple and small like a ninja's bag. He joined a new talk Temari and Saylin were having about missions the sand village was offering to students. Neither Temari nor Saylin mentioned the talk they previously had. Much later, when their conversations subsided and the evening was inky black, Saylin and Gaara went back to her house.

"Saylin?" Gaara asked as he sat on the bed, staring at her as he spoke.

"What's on your mind?" Saylin asked, turning to stare deeply into his beautiful eyes.

"Did you mean what you said before?" He asked, his voice was uncertain, as if he didn't know the answer to his question.

"About what?"

"When you said you loved me… was it true?"

"It was, is, and will be true as long as I'm there to say it." Saylin answered confidently.

"I love you Saylin." He whispered in the dark.

"I love you too, Gaara." Saylin replied, feeling stupid saying the repetitive line. _"It's the thought that counts."_Saylin reminded herself.

"Gaara, just for the record," She started, "anything I say after this is sleep-talk." Saylin murmured as she closed her eyes.

"Alright." He said with a laugh. From Saylin's ears, his laugh was the most beautiful sound she ever heard. It was the sound that would echo pleasantly in her head while she slept and kept her company in the darkness of her mind.


	10. Ch 10 Secrets of the Past

I wanted to give Saylin more back round in this chapter and show why Ki is the way she is. Hope you like it! Please RxR! Thanks!

**Ch. 10 Secrets of the Past**

When Saylin awoke the next morning, Gaara was nowhere to be seen. She slowly looked around and heard noises coming from the kitchen. Lazily, she snatched her crutches and hobbled into the kitchen, trying not to make much noise. When she got there, she was surprised to find Gaara at the table making a list.

"Morning." Saylin grumbled.

"Good Morning." Gaara replied softly, manipulating the sand to bring Saylin a chair. It shuffled across the floor like ants stealing a piece of food and stopped in front of Saylin. When she sat in it, the sand pulled the chair over to where Gaara was sitting.

"What's that?" Saylin asked, staring perplexed at the list he was writing.

"Grocery list, you're completely out of food." Gaara answered, showing the list to Saylin.

"How'd you know that?" Asked Saylin.

"Last night, you said you wanted something to eat in your sleep, so I checked your cabinets, refrigerator, and freezer with no success. It wasn't till after I went back to tell you that I didn't find anything did it occur to me that you were sleep talking again." He chuckled as he spoke, giving her a kiss on her nose.

"I warned you!" Saylin exclaimed, "I said that anything I said beyond this point was sleep talk!"

"You were very convincing, you kept saying it over and over again! I got a headache!" Gaara cried, "So anyways, here's the list. Besides, the town needs to know you're alive sometime soon."

"Alright, we can go in a few minutes." Saylin rolled her eyes and smiled as she spoke.

She hobbled into her room, locked the door, and proceeded to follow her daily routine. When her parents were still alive, they always told her to do the BBD in the mornings- brush your hair, brush your teeth, and get dressed. Saylin added in the shower part when she got older, but the BBD basically covered her morning schedule.

When she came out, Gaara was waiting for her at the table, in the same position in which she left him.

"Hi again!" She cheered as she sat down next to him.

"Ready?" He asked, holding the list as he stood up.

"What's on the list anyways?" Saylin asked, peering over Gaara's shoulder to scan the list to see what foods he had in mind.

"Fruits, rice, bread, seasonings, milk, pre-made ramen, herbs, and…" Saylin squinted at the last word in disbelief, "Veggies? You want me to eat _veggies_?" Saylin glanced at Gaara in fear as she spoke.

"Yes, Saylin. It's about time you learned how to eat salad." He said strictly.

"B-b-but they taste bad!" She protested, rummaging through a can of pens and pencils, trying to find one that worked so she could scratch the dreaded word off the list.

"Saylin, you're sixteen years old! You need to learn how to eat vegetables!" Gaara rationalized, "I'll buy them." He said in a final attempt to make her consider the evil food.

Saylin squinted at him for a few seconds. In return, Gaara sadly stuck out his lower lip and cocked his head to one side while blinking a few time with pleading eyes, his version of a puppy dog face. Saylin sighed and grumbled, "Fine, but if I don't like them this time, you must promise to never buy them again! Ever!" She ended, grabbing a handful of coins from her money jar and stuffing the money into her pockets.

"That works, lets go." Gaara said, opening the door for Saylin as the two walked out into the day.

"I don't think you need those anymore." Gaara said, eyeing the crutches.

"I can balance now, but I'm still limping." Saylin murmured wishfully, wanting to run in the breeze or jump over the sidewalk again.

"Lean on me." Gaara suggested, using the sand to take the crutches and move them back into her house, which was a few feet away.

Saylin blushed and leaned heavily against Gaara's chest. His arm slid around her back, resting on her waist. He pulled her closer so if she fell, he would be able to catch her. Saylin's heart pounded as fast as a hummingbird flapping its wings.

With help from Gaara, Saylin found she could easily move around and walk on her feet, even with occasional pangs of pain from her leg. The wound had healed quickly, and felt much smaller in depth and in width than it originally was.

"Say, is that you?" A voice said from behind.

_"Oh… my… god…" _Saylin thought unbelievably, _"I ignore them, I yell at them, I run away from them, I tell them I don't want to be their friend, and yet look at who has come back to ruin my day…"_

"What?" Saylin demanded as she turned around to face them with help from Gaara.

"Is it true you're dating _him_?" The brunette from before screamed, pointing at Gaara's hand around Saylin's waist in horror

Saylin ignored the comment and smiled at Gaara. Confidently she said, "Yeah I am, got a problem with that?"

"Eww!" The brunette cried dramatically and fell on the ground, twitching in exaggeration, "I'd die if I were to pick between dating Gaara and death!" The girl's friends laughed at her display and Ki stepped forward, her arms crossed.

"Hey Gaara! I lost my parents when I was eight, I'm a show off in class, I don't have any friends, and I'm a poor loser who helps out the traders to earn a living, hey! I sound like Saylin. Want to go out with me, too?" She teased.

Saylin stepped forward, wobbling uneasily on her legs, her eyes blazing like fire. Gaara suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "Let me go!" She cried, pulling away from Gaara, who released her arm hesitantly. The prisses smiled and laughed as Saylin moved unsteadily forward and stared at Ki, who snorted at Saylin's anger.

"You don't know anything!" Saylin spat, staring up at Ki who was trying to hold back her laughter, "My parents died sacrificing their lives protecting our village when they knew that was the only way to save it! As for being smart in class, if you paid an ounce of attention to anything in the room beside yourself, you'd learn how to be a ninja! I don't need friends that are as superficial as you; I have friends; friends and a family that you can't understand because your brain is too small to comprehend anything besides a biological family! In my family, I have a brother, a sister, over ten close friends plus one best friend! Lastly, insult me all you like but don't insult my friends or family! Those 'loser traders' are the reason I am not out on the streets today! They slaved extra hours to give me food and money so I could pay to live in my house and to eat something so I wouldn't go hungry every night!" Saylin yelled, her fists clenched. Ki and her gang, who had remained silent until this time, broke into hysterical laughter.

"You're funny, Say. In a little while you'll-"

"Shut up! I won't change and neither will you. You think you're always right, but your not, and you can't change me!" Saylin ended as she staggered back to Gaara who turned back to say something to the prisses before Saylin walked away.

"When do you want to go out Gaara?" Sneered Ki before he could speak.

"Whenever you want to die." Gaara said, his voice low and threatening, making the sand swirl quickly around him.

The prisses all stepped back, but Ki remained as immobile as a statue, a daring look in her eyes.

"He won't hurt anyone like he did after Saylin, so you don't need to be afraid of him. You people weren't there, but Saylin and I were." She started, smiling like the cat that ate the mouse. "I told you guys about it, but I guess I never mentioned how Saylin got hurt. Remember that incident about ten years ago when Gaara hurt some girl with sand? On the same day Saylin lost her parents?" She asked, her friends nodding.

"Ki, stop." Saylin whispered, her voice strangely horse, loosing its strength and anger when she remembered the event Ki was talking about.

"No, Saylin. This is why I don't want you hanging around that demon! I _know_ he'll hurt you again like he did before!"

Gaara winced and closed his eyes, the awful event flashed into his mind.

"You know, Saylin, he almost used sand-coffin on you when we were younger." She said, then turned back to her friends, "Saylin and I, plus a few other people were playing ball on the playground. Saylin saw Gaara there and asked if he wanted to play with us. We ran off, but Saylin still offered to play with him. Gaara had a spaz. attack and his demon got out of control; it almost killed her. That's how he first met her, and I can guarantee that's how she'll die! Later that day, he went to her house to apologize with some medicines and she _forgave_ him! Can you believe that?" Ki laughed.

"I never hurt her intentionally." Gaara said harshly, "Saylin helped me change. She taught me how to control my demon." He whispered meaningfully. The prisses ignored Gaara, who to Saylin. "Let's go, those people are a waste of our time. You don't deserve to hang around people as low as them." He encouraged, helping her turn around and walk away.

"Sure." Saylin grumbled numbly so stuck in the memories of her past, she didn't know what she said.

Saylin's parents last day of life were hard for her to remember, but impossible for her to forget. The old memories that she could recall were of her parents' strong arms lifting her up and taking her out of the playground to her home when Gaara injured her. The time when she cried for her mother and father, even though they were there with her the whole time. Memories of how they carefully healed her wound and compassionately bandaged the ones that they couldn't. She faintly remembered them tucking her into her bed, sung and warm. The memory was like faint traces of ink on a large paper, only barely readable. The part where Saylin's parents uneasily but trustingly letting Gaara in their house to give Saylin some herbs for her severe condition changed her life forever. Saylin faintly grasped the memory of Gaara offering a humble- nervous, apology for all that he did, and her light smile and acceptance at the end which her parents were so proud of her for. Saylin almost forgot Gaara sitting next to her while her fever burned. It was in that handful of hours when her parents answered the door to their doom. She couldn't remember what he said to her parents or his tone, but she knew a male ninja came to her house and begged for them to fight for their village. He asked them to end their lives to save hundreds on a mission her parents knew was suicidal.

Strangely, Saylin distinctly remembered their good-bye. She remembered them coming over to where she was, all clad in ninja gear, telling her this was the last time they would see her; how they each kissed her good-bye, telling her to be strong and wise when they were gone, and how proud they were of her for all that she has already done. Unknown to Saylin at the time, they would never return. Her last words to them were, "Bye, see you in the morning." Her natural response when they went on overnight missions. Her parents had cried upon seeing her do this, but had left, just the same.

Slowly, Gaara placed his arm around Saylin's shoulders, breaking her trance. She leaned in closer to him, and hugged him tightly with her right arm, the one closest to him. It was all she could do to keep herself from crying.

"Saylin… are you… alright?" Gaara's voice trembled slightly as they walked away, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"Don't be sorry. I tell you all the time… I don't care about the past." She murmured, staring at the ground.

"It would be best… if we weren't friends. You should just forget I exist and find someone else… a human that can't hurt you." Gaara muttered after a few seconds, thinking deeply.

"Stop talking like that! That's type of talk that scares me! I don't want to loose you, I love you Gaara!" Saylin's voice cracked, uncontrollable tears washed down her face and shattered onto the sand like broken glass. Saylin buried her face on Gaara's firm shoulder, her tears washing on his cloak.

Gaara's breath caught for a moment, his eyes wide. He scooped Saylin up, holding her limp body close. He jumped to a nearby rooftop, carrying her bridal style. Saylin sat on his lap, crying silently. Her tears flowed like a river, washing away all emotions except for grief and sorrow. A tear suddenly splashed on her dry knuckles. It wasn't Saylin's tear; it was Gaara's. Saylin pulled away and stared at Gaara, but he wasn't crying. When she looked away, out of the corner of her eye, she could have sworn she saw Gaara wipe away another tear. It was only for a moment, and she couldn't be sure.

Saylin propped her head up against Gaara's chest, struggling to keep her breathing under control. She listened intently to his heartbeat. Not one heartbeat, she soon realized, but two heartbeats. The two distinct rhythms of the raccoon demon's heartbeat and Gaara's played a song of deep struggle and rising power. A song of hard earned freedom and ageless servitude. Smiling slightly, Saylin closed her eyes and wiped the trail of tears from her face.

"Gaara... I don't want the past to come between us. I love you." She eventually whispered, her frail voice traveling over time and distance. Saylin's hand moved to his face, dragged her knuckles across his features, wiping away the trails of tears he had tried in vain to hide from her.

"I feel so guilty. I don't want to hurt you again." Gaara murmured, his head hung low.

"You shouldn't be. You saved me from Akito and countless others, I owe you my life… for all its worth." Saylin reasoned, trying to make a joke and failing epically. Gaara smiled anyways, trying to brighten both of their downcast moods.

"You are worth so much more than you know." Gaara whispered, nuzzling her forehead with his. His soft red hair tickled her face and brushed against her lips. "Saylin, I love you. I won't let anyone hurt you ever again- including myself." Gaara vowed, shifting so he held her bridal style on his lap before standing up. Saylin squirmed in his grasp, attempting to stand on her own, but Gaara squeezed her slightly, still carrying her. He leapt down from the building and set her down on her feet. His arm crawled around her back and took its place on her waist. Gaara turned Saylin in the direction of the market.

"Are you still going to make me eat vegetables?" Saylin demanded slyly, trying to set a more normal tone.

"I never said I wouldn't." He teased, pulling her towards the market.

"Have mercy!" Saylin cried dramatically pretending to faint, leaning backwards.

"Careful, don't hurt your leg again." Gaara warned, shifting so his arm was now around her shoulders as they walked.

"I'll be alright as long as you're here." She said confidently. Gaara nodded in response and kissed Saylin on the cheek.


	11. Ch 11 Satsu's Shop

Allo everyone! Sorry this chapter isn't very good. Anywho, thanks to everyone who reviews and to anyone who reads my story! It really helps me write when I know people are reading it :D. Thanks again!!

**Ch. 11 Satsu's Shop**

Saylin was irritated beyond anything before. As soon as they entered the market, all Saylin heard was, "Oh my god, she's alive!" and "Thank you for saving our village!" plus the common, "What's going on?". Gaara pulled Saylin through the crowd, using sand to push most of the people out of the way as they bought all their goods. People craned their necks and pushed others out of the way to see the two heroes going about their daily business.

"We have all of the fruit, grains, spices, herbs. Now we need to get the vegetables." Gaara shouted over the crowd.

"Please don't get the vegetables?" Saylin cried, struggling to be heard through the crowd. Her question was pointless- she already knew the answer.

"You promised." Gaara reminded, glaring teasingly through the corners of his eyes.

"Saylin! How did you survive the three?" Someone shouted, leaping up and down.

"Gaara saved-" Saylin started only to be interrupted by someone else.

"Which of the three fighter's survived?"

"I think-"

"What was your talk with the Kazekage about?"

"I'm not sure I'm-"

"Speak up- we can't hear you! How did your leg get injured?"

"When I was-"

"EVERYBODY QUIET!" Roared a loud voice, obviously loud because of a jutsu. The crowd immediately stopped talking, and looked around for the voice that screamed.

"Satsu?" Saylin whispered, recognizing the voice but not seeing its owner. Saylin's eyes darted around the crowd, her neck almost turning a full three hundred and sixty degrees before she found the owner.

"Saylin- come with me. My shop has everything you need without the disturbance of the crowd." The lady said, appearing in front of the crowd and eyeing the list. She then dragged Saylin through the swarming mass of people, which began to ask more questions.

"You, sand boy! Can you make some walls or something to keep them out of our way for a few minutes?" Demanded the old lady as she pulled Saylin who was dragging Gaara through the crowd.

"Gladly!" Hissed Gaara, who couldn't be heard by anyone except Saylin.

The sand behind them shifted into two, five-foot walls that lead from where Gaara stood to Satsu's shop, which was conveniently a few yards in front of them. Gaara held the spectators at bay till Saylin, Satsu and he were safely behind closed doors before retreating inside. When the crowd realized they were not welcome, their commotion died away background noise. Just to be sure no one would interrupt them, Satsu locked the door and peered out the window.

"Strange people." She murmured, then glanced down at list, "Vegetables? Saylin, you're eating _vegetables_?" Inquired Satsu, astonished. The old lady's eyes budged as her wrinkled jaw dropped.

"He's forcing me to eat them." Explained Saylin, pointing at Gaara, who smiled cheekily.

"You're a good influence on her, I couldn't get her to eat vegetables for my life. She'd always hide them from me when I came over to give her dinner." Satsu sighed at the memories of a ten year old Saylin glaring at her dinner with a look that could put the grim reaper to shame.

"Is there any you had in mind?" She asked Gaara eagerly, casting her hand over to the large array of boxes of fresh plant life.

"Carrots, lettuce, cucumbers, unions, tomatoes, broccoli, red peppers, and mushrooms." Gaara said, not even needing the list to see what he was reciting.

"I have them all, so you can pick them out. Do you mind if I talk to Saylin alone?" She asked her voice strangely tired and old.

Gaara nodded, and Satsu sighed, bringing Saylin into the next room.

"Can I get you anything, tea? Cookies?" She asked, not once looking into Saylin's eyes. Saylin's aged friend was weary sounding and feeble, not like the usual Satsu Saylin had always known.

"Satsu are you alright?" Saylin asked, placing her hand on Satsu's bony one. Saylin could see the veins on her crinkled skin, smell the age in her breath.

"I didn't know, Saylin. I didn't know and it almost killed you. I wish there was some way I could repay you." She whispered, tears sliding down her crankily old face.

"Gram, what's wrong?" She asked nervously. When she was younger, Saylin would call Satsu her 'Grams' or grandmother because Satsu was old, and she acted like a second mother to Saylin. With that name, Satsu seemed to find new confidence to attempt speaking.

"Those people… who tried to kill you… that poison they made you take… they got it from me." She paused to look at Saylin's frightened and stunned face from her chair but refused to meet Saylin's penetrating gaze. "I didn't know that they were bad. They said they needed the herb so they could make a healing potion- Ralaki boiled with Lotus flowers makes a healing potion that can cure headaches, but boiled alone and Ralaki releases powerful poisons that can kill a man in less than a day." Satsu sighed and stood up upon seeing Saylin lost for words. "It's inexcusable to ask for forgiveness in such a situation."

"It's alright," Saylin said before Satsu hobbled out of the room, "you didn't know; how would you? No more apologies, I've heard enough of them for one day. I'm still alive am I not?"

"You've cried before, during this day." Satsu noted with a wise frown.

"It was nothing, just an old argument that needed to be settled." Saylin whispered.

"Some wounds take time to heal, some can't be healed at all." Satsu whispered as she sat back down, "I think I know the problem you are referring to, it has to do with that boy, am I right?" Satsu asked, and upon seeing Saylin nod, she continued. "A conflict left unsettled turns into a wound that can't be healed, but a conflict solved has a chance of being healed. Do you understand?"

"Yes, we resolved it before it escalated." Saylin grumbled, tucking her knees into her chest.

"So who _is_ that boy you are with?" Asked Satsu, a gleam of mystery in her eyes. "I believe I've seen him before, but from where I do not know."

"Gaara. His name is Gaara." Saylin replied quickly, blushing quietly as she said his name, letting the letters of his name roll over her tongue.

"Is he anyone special?" Satsu prodded, not satisfied with Saylin's answer.

"Saylin? Mrs. Satsu? Are you in there?" Gaara called from the main room.

"Join us, and it's Ms. Satsu, the Mr. died a long time ago, rest his soul." Satsu informed as Gaara entered the room.

"As I was saying before, is this young man anyone special?" Satsu asked, never missing an opportunity to embarrass Saylin.

"Well, erm," Saylin started, fumbling with the words.

"Oh, and by the way; since you are with Saylin, those items are free of charge." Satsu interrupted as Gaara took out some coins, waving his money away.

"He's, erm, well, er, he's um, heh heh, actually, he's my boyfriend." Saylin sputtered, cringing into the fetal position. _"Uh oh."_

"WHAT?!" Satsu roared, standing up. She knocked over her chair in the process and stormed over to a frightened Gaara, who shrunk back in the sight of the fuming lady.

"Satsu! Calm down!" Saylin cried, in an attempt to stop her bewildered friend.

"Double price, plus tax! Cough it up!" Satsu said, opening her bony hand over to Gaara, demanding pay for the food.

"Ok!" Gaara complied instantly, handing Satsu the money. His eyes widened as Satsu loomed over him. This old lady had more fight in her than she appeared to.

Satsu laughed suddenly, fingering the money happily. Her grin turned solemn as she thought about 'stealing' money from Gaara and reluctantly released the money handing it back. "Upon second thought… I you're a nice kid- I like you… but if…" She said, her voice suddenly low and malicious, "If you break Saylin's heart, I will hunt you down and-"

"Satsu, it's alright, don't worry. Gaara won't hurt me." Saylin said with confidence.

"I promise." Gaara said sincerely, "I love Saylin with my life."

Satsu sighed and rubbed her temples, "There's more than one way to break a girl's heart." Satsu grumbled, staring at Gaara strangely for a minute.

Gaara nodded in comprehension and Saylin understood as well.

"All a girl wants is someone to grow old with. Most don't want a fancy hero." She said knowledgably, "I know all too well. But enough of me rambling, you two should get going."

"Yes Ms. Satsu." Gaara replied, beginning to like Satsu's spastically, over protective reactions to everything.

"Call me Satsu." Satsu smiled at Gaara, "And I'm sure those strange people will be gone by now- you two better be off."

"Bye, Grams!" Saylin said with a hug.

"Good bye, Satsu." Gaara ended with a wave.

Satsu watched the two leave, whistling to herself. She'd never seen a bond so strong between two so young.


	12. Ch 12 The Dreaded Salad

Hi everyone, chapter 12 is up and running!!!!!!!!! Woot!!!!!!!!!!! Rlease read and review!! Thank you!!!!

**Ch. 12 The Dreaded Salad**

"How do you expect me to eat this?" Saylin inquired, eyeing her shishkabab with amusement as she turned the charred stake around in her hand, smearing it with the dark paste.

"You can either eat the vegetables off the stake, or you can put the vegetables on the plate and eat it with your fork or chopsticks." Gaara responded knowledgably, taking a bite of his colorful, grilled, masterpiece.

Saylin cringed and closed her eyes, bracing herself for the awful taste of a random vegetable. She slowly took a bite of what smelled like a tomato. It tasted strange; a rainbow of flavors bitter, sweet, saucy, light, crisp, warm, and for some strange reason… fluffy. Earlier, Gaara had made shishkababs consisting of mushrooms, tomatoes, mini unions, and red peppers. Gaara also made a salad, which Saylin was delaying for as long as possible. Saylin opened her eyes and stared at the vegetables in disbelief. "These are good!" She announced, raising her fist in the air, almost flinging the vegetables off the stick in her capricious movement.

"Good, now eat the rest." Gaara ordered strictly, pointing to the rest of the shishkabab with his own. Since her parents died, Saylin had no real influences telling her what to eat. She usually ate healthy, but vegetables weren't high on her priority list.

Each vegetable brought a new flavor, angle, and life to the term 'vegetable'. Unions were crunchy and mild, mushrooms were chewy and strongly flavored, peppers were crisp and watery, and the tomato was in its own little world of peculiarity.

"What's next? Do I eat the stake?" Saylin asked cheerfully, with the slightest hint of sarcasm, still feeling empty despite the vast amount vegetables she had consumed.

"No," Gaara said with a laugh, "but you can try the salad."

"S-salad? Seriously?" Saylin cried, her eyes growing wide till they were the size of basketballs. Shishkababs were one thing, they were grilled vegetables. Salad, every seven year olds nightmare, _raw_ veggies, gave Saylin chills.

"You can't make me eat them!" Saylin stuck her tongue out at Gaara from across the table and crossed her arms as she spoke.

"You said-"

"I lied. I _shall_ not eat the salad since I used the word _shall_." Saylin vowed, concocting another excuse.

"Your acting like a five year old!" Gaara described, "and _will_ beats _shall_ so you _will_ eat the salad even if I have to give it to you in your sleep."

"No." Saylin repeated in a stubborn tone, "No salad."

Gaara sighed and caught Saylin's legs with sand, gluing them to the ground. "Gaara, what are you doing?" Saylin demanded, struggling to get out of the chair.

Seeing she couldn't escape, Gaara brought the salad over to Saylin, gathering some of the leafy greens onto a fork.

"Eat it." He demanded.

"Never!" Saylin shook her head wildly, flailing her arms like a wild bird.

"Please?" He asked, trying his puppy dog face again, a mysterious glint in his eyes.

Saylin paused for a moment to give her response. "I sai-" She started, only to be cut off by a fork full of vegetables. "Mphh! Mphh!"

"Use your words." Gaara admonished, pulling the fork out of Saylin's mouth.

"What is in this?" She asked with a smile, "It tastes strange, but it's interesting. I might have to try it again!"

"Uh," Gaara thought for a minute, "lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, and tomatoes. Your basic of the basic salads." He informed her while releasing her legs from the sand grip while trustingly handed her the salad with the fork in it, praying she wouldn't send it across the room.

"Yay for salad!" She cried, wolfing down the leafy greens as if they were her last meal.

"Is this what it takes to make you see common sense?" He asked, more to himself than to Saylin.

"Of course!" Saylin cheered, "Where's your salad?"

"I ate mine while you were eyeing your shishkabab with you death glare." Gaara said with a shrug.

"Right," She said sheepishly, "anything else you want me to try?"

"No, you're finished." Gaara replied, almost melancholy.

"What time is it?" Saylin asked, looking for a watch when she was finished, the bowl completely clean as if by magic.

"Seven." Gaara replied, glancing at the microwave's clock.

"Want to go for a walk? I need to return my crutches to the hospital." Saylin suggested, wanting to get out of the house.

"Sure." Gaara responded, helping Saylin stand up.

"I think I can walk on my own now." Saylin said, taking his hand off her shoulder, but holding it by her side. She slowly stood up on both legs and supported her uninjured leg with most of her weight.

"I could transport us there." Gaara suggested, not wanting Saylin to get into more pain.

"True, but it's fun to walk. Besides, there's something I need to talk to you about." Saylin murmured, her tone softening, eyes averted.

"Tell me." Gaara urged as they walked out the door.

"I'm afraid." Saylin whispered, moving closer to Gaara as they walked down the road.

"Of what?" Gaara asked protectively, holding her hand tighter, pulling her tiny form close to his strong body.

"Of Akito. He said he'd kill me, but that's not what's bothering me." Saylin stared into Gaara's eyes before continuing. "I'm afraid he might come after you." She finally said after a deep pause and a heavy sigh.

"What makes you think that?" Gaara asked, startled and shocked.

"If he wanted me dead by now, I would be. I'm not that strong- you were the only reason I lived… what if the reason he hasn't come back for me is because you are here to protect me? What if he targets you?" Saylin asked near tears

"Or, maybe he just got scared and went off to pillage some other village." Gaara said, trying to avoid the subject, frowning uncomfortably.

"You also killed his henchmen. I don't think he was pleased about that." Saylin whispered softly, recalling their screams as they died, goose bumps rippling on her arms even though she tried to rub them away.

"If he does…" Gaara started after a long pause, "I guess I'll have to deal with him like I did last time. I will not let him hurt you, and I have too much to live for to die."

"Ok." Saylin's frail voice trailed off and carried into the wind in the cold night.

Saylin stopped in front of the huge hospital building and started trudging up the stone steps that lead to it, with her head down, counting the irritatingly small steps with curiosity. She barely noticed all the plant life, which was strange for a desert, and the giant, bold lettered sign that said "Hospital" in gold lettering. Gaara lingered behind her, holding Saylin's crutches loosely in his arms, letting them jumble as he moved. Saylin pushed open the glass door and stumbled inside the air-conditioned building, taking in a lung full of the cool air, which was much unlike the hot, dry air outside. The reception room was large with glossy stone floors and large pieces of expensive furniture. Next to the furniture were colorful magazines sitting on small mahogany desks with luminous lamps on top. The room also contained a few scattered toys for children if they came, some hiding in corners of couches while others were tucked in neat piles near the corners.

"Can I help you?" The receptionist asked sweetly as Saylin walked over to the front desk.

"Yes, this is Saylin Miyakoe, returning her crutches for her leg injury."

"Your record shows that you are supposed to have them for two more days." The blonde lady said plainly, the fake-happy tone in her voice making Saylin want to cover her ears and block out the sound.

"I'm feeling better, I don't need them anymore." Saylin protested, jumping up and down, and then running in place to show how her leg had improved.

"Alright," The receptionist said, typing something into her computer, "Saylin Miyakoe, your crutches are returned. Please place them over there in the basket."

Saylin obediently picked up her crutches and placed them in a large bin that held many other crutches and arm rests. Seeing that everything was done, Gaara and she left the building to walk back home during the end of the sunset, the last bits of sunlight glowing onto the their faces.

"If Akito bothers you this much… I'll never to leave your side until he is found." Gaara assured her once they were out of the hospital and out of ear's range.

Saylin nodded and Gaara stopped walking. "Gaara?" She asked, turning to face him. He stepped in closer to her, their faces just centimeters apart. Her heart thumped wildly, blushing shyly, redder than a rose, when Saylin felt his warm, sweet breath on her face. The dark, spicy, musk like smell which naturally came off his skin made her heart beet faster, so hard, she was sure he could hear it. Gaara's deep green eyes captured her pale green ones, forcing Saylin's fears out of her mind as her mind wandered. He gently cupped her face with his pale hands, closing the space as she gasped in surprise.

Gaara smiled as he moved in for the kill, his feverishly warm lips brushing lightly against Saylin's before planting a full kiss on her unmoving lips. Saylin instinctively locked her arms around Gaara's neck, tipping her face up so he had better access. Gaara's arms slid around Saylin's lower back, gluing her body to his. Gaara sucked on Saylin's lower lip longingly, memorizing how the silky, velvety skin felt against his. Saylin kissed back eagerly, adding passion as Gaara poured gasoline on their fire. Finally, a long and yet very short minute later, Saylin was forced to break away, sucking oxygen into her burning lungs.

"Nothing can separate me from you." He whispered in her ear as his lip hovered near her ear. "Not even Akito."


	13. Ch 13 Rematch! part 1

Allo everyone! Happy Turkey Day!!! I'm going to appologize in advance for the cliffie and will write the next chapter asap so you don't need to worry about what happens! :D Enjoy!

**Ch. 13 Rematch! Akito vs Gaara and Saylin Part 1**

Saylin was on edge for the two days after she went to the hospital. When she went to go to sleep for those two nights, she had strange dreams about a pair of blood red eyes. It was the same situation, but each time she dreamed it, the more it terrorized her. In her dream, she was sitting in a dark chamber, much like the one in the Desert Burial Grounds. In there, she would see a pair of glowing, crimson eyes glowing in the darkness, the only light source in the room. Desperately, Saylin would try to move or stand up, but some magical force held her in place where she sat on the ground.

The more she struggled against it, the more panicked she became, and the more panicked she became; the closer the creature would come. It had a large body, from what she could hear and feel. When it walked, it made earthquake-like vibrations and shook the floor. Finally, when Saylin somehow mustered the strength to stand, the creature would rush forward to attack her. Screaming with nowhere to run, Saylin would throw her arms out in front of her, trembling. At the last second before it would run her through, Saylin would close her eyes in the dream, and open them in reality.

Because of these dreams, Saylin didn't get much sleep. Deep circles formed under her eyes, and she was constantly on edge. Gaara, who had become quite concerned about this, had no idea where the nightmares had come from, or how to stop them.

"Want some breakfast?" He offered, shaking some cereal in front of her weary face.

"I'm alright." She whispered softly, her head slumping onto the table.

"Did you have the dream again?" He asked, noticing her peculiar behavior.

"Yeah." She grumbled, wiping away the last remnants of sleep from her black and blue shaded eyes.

"Maybe you should ignore it." He suggested, pouring some milk into his bowl of chocolate cereal.

"I think it's trying to tell me something. What it is trying to say, I have yet to find out." She sagged in her chair as she spoke, her neck lazily leaning back on the chair.

"Want to go to the training grounds today?" Gaara asked, changing the topic. "We haven't been there after school was canceled."

"Sure." Saylin grumbled, in a pliable mood that was ready for anything.

Saylin and Gaara each grabbed their ninja bags and started out for the outskirts of the sand village. While they walked, Saylin couldn't help but feel that she was being watched. She would consistently turn around and stare off behind her, trying to see if anyone was following her. Gaara too, looked uneasy but neither of them found its significance. For this reason, the two ambled along slowly, frowning. Saylin's feet dragged against the ground, watching with a simple-minded interest as small clouds of sand formed when she shuffled. When they reached the fields, Saylin and Gaara were shocked to find the training grounds abandoned.

"Wow, no one's here. This place is usually packed." Saylin noted, astonished at the barren wasteland of field 1, which was usually crammed with ninjas.

"That's good, we don't have to worry about hurting anyone or anyone getting in our way." Gaara said optimistically.

"And the best part is that there won't be anyone to save you from your death." Hissed a sadistic voice from behind.

The hairs on the back of Saylin's neck stood up and her heart jumped even before she recognized the voice. Trembling, she forced herself to turn around and stare into the yellow eyes of Akito.

"Don't worry Saylin, your death will be quick and painless. I can't guarantee that much for Gaara, though. If he doesn't let me through, I guess I'll just have to destroy him too." Akito's threatening voice sent chills up and down Saylin's spine. She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. _"Come on! Don't loose your head! Focus!"_ She ordered, drawing a kunai.

"How can you be so sure you'll win? Gaara defeated your henchmen and almost killed you." Saylin quickly fired back as Gaara stepped in front of her.

"I don't know. Fight me and find out!" Akito shouted, running forward to attack.

Gaara immediately flicked his hand upward, the sand forming a hill to block Akito. Akito jumped over it and drew a pair of short swords. Gaara dodged the blades by a hair's breath and spun out of Akito's range. He then raised his hands and the sand formed a wave that washed over the entire field to cause a distraction. Saylin used Akito's momentary confusion to jump on top of the sand and charge at Akito. Since Akito was preoccupied fighting Gaara, he didn't hear or see her.

"Fire style! Fire wind!" She shouted, throwing a mass of white-hot flames at Akito.

"Argh!" He roared, staggering backwards, the flames hitting him in the chest. Triumph washed over Saylin as Akito fell to the ground, feeling relief and satisfaction in his seemingly quick death. In that brief moment, Saylin thought Akito died. Saylin thought wrong. Akito suddenly exploded in a puff of smoke. Saylin's eyes bulged. _"Why does he always use shadow clones?"_ She asked herself, spinning around to see the real Akito rush towards Gaara.

"Gaara! Look out!" Saylin screamed, running towards Gaara, who hadn't seen the shadow clone explode.

Gaara, who had been caught off guard, jumped backwards hoping to avoid Akito's swords. Akito swung both blades and they slashed Gaara's right arm, penetrating the skin in a deep wound. Gaara jumped away before Akito could do more damage and he used his good arm to send a title wave of sand at Akito to keep him at bay. Twirling gracefully, Akito successfully danced out of Gaara's reach, but blindly smashed into Saylin's kunai. When Saylin saw Gaara about to get injured, she had thrown her kunai at Akito and it hit him soon after.

"Gaara!" Saylin screamed, rushing over to her injured friend. Gaara's jaw was clenched tightly in pain as his blood soaked his sleeve and stained his pale hand.

Two people suddenly attacked Saylin from behind. "Paralization Jutsu!" They shouted.

Saylin had a second to react to the voices behind her and duck abruptly onto the ground. One of the jutsus narrowly missed the back of her head, skimming her back and colliding with a tree. The other landed in front of her, only a few inches away from her fear stricken face. Instinctively, Saylin rolled forward and turned around, a throwing star in each hand. She expected to be able to throw them at what she assumed to be shadow clones; just piercing them with a mild attack so they would disappear.

Saylin didn't expect to see was the faces of Haku and Zazu. She stood still, stunned for a few suspenseful, heart-pounding seconds before gulping and rushing forward. Now, she had no choice but to throw the stars and pray they did damage on the real ninjas. Saylin didn't have time to plan another clever move. The two ninja ran simultaneously forward, making hand signs for another jutsu. Saylin cut them off. She stopped running, ducked down, and spun around, throwing one kunai at Haku and the other at Zazu. The one she sent spinning at Haku slashed through his hands, breaking his jutsu and stopping him from using another jutsu during this battle, the star cutting up his hands and slicing his wrists. Zazu's star didn't hit him, and only made him loose his concentration.

"Saylin! Look out!" Gaara shouted, sand suddenly blocking her from an electric blast that was aimed in her direction. It was then that she remembered that Gaara was fighting Akito. Saylin stood frozen in shock, not expecting Akito to interfere with her battle. In her confusion and awe, Zazu used this to his advantage and shouted. "Paralization Jutsu!" Saylin stood still, frozen. _"No!"_ she screamed inwardly, suddenly loosing control of her vocal cords. She was like a statue, couldn't blink, or even twitch a muscle. Saylin suddenly realized with a growing foreboding dread that she couldn't breath. Desperately, she choked on air but couldn't swallow or suck in the substance that gave her life.


	14. ch 14 Rematch! part 2

Allo everyone! Thank you for the reviews! I know its annoying for me to keep asking for them but its the only way i feedback and I get an opinion of how it is so I thank you all who do :D *worships the computer*. This has another cliffie. Merry Christmas! Pray for snow!

**Ch. 14 Rematch! Akito vs. Gaara and Saylin Part 2**

"Saylin! Hold on!" Gaara cried, momentarily leaving his battle with Akito to try and break the spell on Saylin. "What did you do to her?" He demanded, horrified as he stared into Saylin's frantic eyes.

"Paralyzed her body and lungs. If you don't defeat us in… about… say three minutes, she'll die. And it will be a slow death. Her lungs will burn and she'll scream inwardly but you won't be able to save her." Akito asked, his eyes gleaming at the thought of Saylin's close destruction.

Gaara seemed to debate for a second, then he turned to face Akito and his henchmen, who had come to stand next to their master. "So… they escaped me by using water clones?" He questioned as he ran forward, "They won't escape this time!"

With that, he urgently made the hand signs for a powerful jutsu, using most of his chakra.

Dots slowly began to appear on Saylin's eyes and her head felt heavy from lack of oxygen. _"Hurry Gaara!"_ She screamed inwardly. _"Wait, why would they bother with this torture, I should have been dead by now… they're after Gaara!"_ She realized, her eyes wide as she uselessly struggled against the spell that held her. _"Gaara! Run! They're after you!"_

Desperately, and without much success, she tried to scream.

"Look, Gaara of the Sand Village! Your girl is dying and you are too weak to save her!" Akito snarled, dodging Gaara's attack, which sent sand spraying like a hose from the ground to meet his opponents. But before the jutsu reached its maximum power, Gaara ran out of chakra. His eyes were wide and he gasped sharply, the sand slaking at his feet. He shook for a few moments, his eyes concentrated and bloodthirsty before rolling into the back of his head, his legs buckling as he collapsed on the ground.

Akito laughed, watching the sand master faint. His laugh was not a cheerful laugh, but a harsh villainous laughter, which chilled Saylin to the bone, echoed in her mind, and caused goose bumps on her skin.

"I'll get him." Akito claimed, "His pitiful attack used up his whole chakra resources. I guess he left his brains in his sand gourd today."

Akito's henchmen chuckled at his joke, and Saylin's eyes welled up with tears. _"He can't loose!"_ She thought in disbelief, a sore lump forming in her throat.

"Just to be sure…" Akito said thoughtfully, rushing forward, so fast, Saylin could barely see him. He leapt high into the air, letting the wind carry his light body many feet higher than it should have. Just at the peak where he reached his highest height, Akito drew his blades, aiming for Gaara's defenseless heart.

_"No!"_Saylin thought in disbelief, the tears blocking half her vision. Her lungs burned and her body ached from its position but none of that mattered. Gaara was all that mattered and she couldn't save him. _"Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!"_ She begged inwardly, her eyes frozen on his motionless body.

It was as if he heard her cries. The corners of Gaara's mouth turned upward in victory, his eyes snapping open with a malevolent, passive glare of death. His hand pointed towards Akito, the sand jumping up to meet the swordsman.

"What?" Akito roared in confusion before he cast his blades. Gaara only grinned in victory as the sand sped towards Saylin's captor, sweet relief rushing through his body to know within a few moments Saylin would be saved. Akito realized, with a growing loathing for his momentary stupidity, that he had fallen into Gaara's trap. Separating them and then distracting them and leading his victim in security like a predator does prey.

Gaara's heart was beating very fast; he had to get Saylin free. She only had a minute to live if he didn't kill Akito now. He closed his hand eagerly, a crazed, animalistic need in his eyes. But at that exact moment, a blur shot across the field.

"Master, no!" Shouted Haku, who collided with Akito, saving his master from death at the cost of his own life.

"Haku!" Zazu shouted, his hands reaching out as if to grab his friend, watching his blood wet the field.

Saylin choked quietly, her lungs screaming for air. She franticly tried to remember anything she could about breaking a jutsu, but all of her thoughts were slow and clumsy, almost drunk. She needed anything, something, about jutsus to help her.

"_Think… paralyzation jutsus… of course! They connect to the victim's chakra… and freeze the organ/organs. If this paralyzed my lungs through a jutsu, then I should be able to break it by channeling chakra through my lungs!"_ Saylin recalled word for word from an old textbook. _"Could I use my own chakra to reverse it?" _

Fretfully, Saylin blocked out everything she was feeling except the need for air in her lungs. She then forced herself to summon most of her chakra for a jutsu, but instead of bringing her hands together, she tried to breath. It worked. A wisp of air entered her lungs, not enough to inhale, but enough to help her break the curse. Excitedly, she tried again, this time sucking in more air than the last, but it still wasn't enough. With growing determination, she tried a third time. Now swelling with energy, she breathed in fully, taking in a lungful of air and releasing it, fully breaking the spell. As she broke the seal on her lungs, her whole body came alive again.

"Gaara! I broke it!" Saylin cried, rushing forward at Zazu. Gaara nodded and dodged a sword attack from Akito who seemed to be insane with grief and anger for his fallen comrade.

"Die, wretch!" Zazu screeched, sending a shockwave of energy around the field. He too, seemed to be deeply disturbed by the falling of his comrade.

"Miyakoe Secret Jutsu! Force field!" Saylin countered, making three quick hand signs for her protective jutsu. The jutsu passed over her without harm, but Saylin had no idea how it affected the others. The shockwave hit everything around the field, including Akito and Gaara. Akito seemed immune to it, but it took Gaara by surprise. Saylin watched in shock as Gaara was blasted off his feet and knocked into a tree, unable to move.

"Akito, get the demon, I'll hold off this distraction myself!" Zazu ordered.

"What?" Saylin screamed, stopping in her tracks. Zazu stopped running, and Akito turned to her and smiled.

"You are surprised that you aren't the real target here?" He asked genuinely with a harsh laugh.

"I don't understand. What do you want with Gaara?" She asked fiercely, momentarily glancing at her friend before turning her attention to Zazu.

"We don't want him, we want his demon. The Akatsuki will pay us generously if we bring it to them and then we won't have to pick on the weaklings of your village anymore." Akito explained darkly.

"Unfortunately, you've been quite a problem. You even managed to break through our jutsu! I'm sorry to say that even though you are a worthy opponent, you must die now." That last line Akito spoke was said almost with pity. "Zazu, end her." Akito ordered, turning away to face Gaara.

"Yes, master." Zazu droned icily, "with pleasure." He shifted so he was in front of Saylin.

Saylin's anger boiled within her as she forcefully pulled out two kunai from her ninja gear bag. Her eyes glowed with rage and strength even though she was almost out of chakra, the fighting fire inside of her being sprayed with gasoline. This strength she felt though, was not one of physical strength, it was one of brutal determination and urgent hope.

"Eat this!" Zazu shouted, throwing another electricity ball at Saylin. This time, Saylin was prepared for his attack, and had been for a few minutes now.

She made a few simple hand signs, a water ball forming in her hands. When it was formed, she flung it out at Zazu, getting him all wet before he could unleash his attack. She didn't even look back at him to see how he died; she knew what was going to happen. She heard a bloodcurdling scream and felt the heat waves coming off of the electricity as the jutsu backfired onto its user. _"And that is how water conducts electricity…"_ She thought to herself with a smile.

She rushed over to defend Gaara before Akito could reach him. _"I have no chakra left, and I have to face the most powerful of the bunch. This is just great!"_She thought worriedly, standing in front of Gaara.

When his second comrade lay dead on the earth, Akito's anger grew to its highest extent. Saylin could feel his chakra growing tremendously with power in every passing second. Uncertainly, she took a step back, gritting her teeth.

"Saylin…" Gaara whispered hoarsely from behind, "Get out of here. You can't win this battle…" He gasped trying to sit up.

"Just concentrate on your breathing and don't worry about me." Saylin snapped sternly, not willing to look him in the eyes. _"He's right… this probably will be my last battle…"_Her thoughts trailed off as she stared at Akito. _"But I have to try!"_ She thought, the words echoing in her mind. They filled her with strength, but she realized with regret that this was the last time they would.


	15. Ch 15 The Demon Inside

Here you are! I updated asap for you! :D Thank you a zillion times for reviewing and please continue! Sorry about the other cliffie hanger! (and there's more coming.... lol. Don't worry the chapters will soon have endings again)

**Ch. 15 Single Battle**

"This is interesting," Akito lectured, seeing how frightened and fatigued Saylin was. "The weakest is challenging the strongest. I wonder who will win?"

"Words only symbolize weakness in combat. People who need pride rely on words to give them a chance of winning, even when they know they can't. So who are you to say who is strong and who is weak?" Saylin asked gravely, waiting for Akito's attack while pulling out two large kunai from her bag. Akito didn't return her comment and instead stared attentively at her from across the field.

Unknown to both of them, Gaara slowly stood up, his green eyes screaming in silent pain. Keeping himself un-noticed, Gaara beckoned the sand over to him. It slowly engulfed his body as he closed his eyes, the tight features on his face relaxing. In a tight grin of doomed determination he whispered, "Saylin, remember how to defeat me." In a voice soft and uncomprehendable from where Saylin and Akito stood in their stand off. With those words spoken, Gaara opened his eyes. His eyes weren't those of humans, which are round and compassionate, but a demon's eyes, which are slits of hatred.

Since Akito hadn't attacked yet, it was obvious that he was waiting for Saylin to strike first. She slowly shifted to her left. In return, Akito shifted to his right, forcing Saylin to take another step to her left. They began to circle each other like lions, waiting for the other to loose concentration. The suspense began to build up, and the only sounds that could be heard in the silent field was the wind, which occasionally stirred the sand on the ground. Randomly, Saylin lunged forward across the circle and attacked Akito, hoping to catch him off guard.

Expecting as much, Akito blocked Saylin's kunai with his swords, but he didn't expect Saylin to use her kunai as her own swords. Saylin had chosen her longest kunai, which were usually used for long distance throws. The two shining pieces of sharp metal were each a foot in length, a dagger with a handle. The four metal blades came down on each other and struck at the same time. Saylin refused to remove her daggers and strike again; she planted her feet firmly in the ground and held her position, a line drawn in the sand. Akito who was also participating in this struggle, leaning heavily on the swords, forcing Saylin to slide backwards, her heels disappearing into the sand. Akito twirled his swords around in a circle, twisting Saylin's wrists, sending her stumbling backwards. He rushed forward, so fast Saylin could only block one of his deadly swords, the free one crossing her left shoulder, just missing her neck, but scratching her collar. The blade also skimmed her cheek, leaving a large, paper cut like wound that bleed lightly.

Saylin swung her right kunai out in front of her, forcing Akito to skid backwards. She also swung left kunai from side to side, forcing Akito to draw back his blade. Saylin's hands felt clammy and she stared at him nervously. Sweat poured down her forehead in little streams faster than she could hurriedly wipe away.

Saylin attacked again, this time she swung high, aiming for Akito's neck and heart. Akito easily blocked all of her attacks and he attacked her so fiercely, the palms of Saylin's hands and wrists began to tingle with soreness from holding her kunai so hard. Finally, Akito twirled his blades around and knocked the kunai out of her hands. Saylin was now completely defenseless. No chakra. No weapons. No strength. She held her hands up above her face, exhausted. Wearily, she tried to block his next attack, but failed, costing her the battle. The swords sliced open Saylin's stomach, a fatal blow.

For that brief moment before she felt the pain, she realized with numb consent, that this was an ending blow, she had lost. In her defeat, she staggered backwards, falling in what her brain calculated to be slow motion, in too much pain to move. The pain exploded in her stomach and the wound began to bleed profusely. Stunned in body and mind, Saylin crumpled onto the ground, with no strength to do so much as to lift her head.

Akito stood over her and smiled. "I know better than to laugh at you when you are in a situation like this, you'll try to get up and win!"

That was when she realized that this was nothing more than a game to him; he had been playing with her for the whole battle.

"This ends now!" Akito shouted, poising his dagger above her neck, "Any last words before you die?" He snarled, an insane look in his gold eyes. A pillar of sand appeared in the background, and it was… growling?

"Gaara?" She mumbled, staring at the sky, seeing Gaara above her.

"What?" Akito shouted, "No, impossible! He can't have the strength to conjure that!" Akito stepped back and shifted his swords so they were in front of him. Akito was in such a state of shock and amazement that his blades shook in his hands.

Before Akito and Saylin was Gaara in his demon form. Saylin stared up blankly at it, her head fuzzy and confused. _"I thought Gaara was down for the count."_ She thought dumbly. In anger, Akito faced his new opponent, forgetting about Saylin.

Gaara's demon let out a roar that echoed around the entire village, alerting the citizens of a problem. Akito made no fancy speech as he approached the demon, knowing his end was near if he didn't pay attention for this battle.

He made the signs for a jutsu and ran forward, but the demon flicked its tail at Akito, sending him back against a large rock. He was stunned for a few seconds as he fell, but soon regained his composure. While still in the air, Akito used a water jutsu on the demon, soaking the sand. In its confusion, the raccoon demon didn't notice Akito use an ice jutsu that froze most of its body. Akito stood on the ground, grimacing in pain, but grinning in victory.

Saylin watched what she could from where she sat. She knew she must get up and find help but she was too weak to do anything besides breath, a luxury she didn't have only a few minutes before and might not in the next few seconds. _"Come on, get up!"_ She ordered to herself. Ever so slowly, she forced herself, one back vertebra at a time to sit up and lean back against her ninja pack, which was served as a convenient pillow. Her stomach made many huge protests, which lead to her almost to blacking out twice, but anger-outspoken pain and she continued to move.

The demon and Akito were almost evenly matched. They might have kept going if Akito had demonic strength, but Akito was tiring. Already, he had fought Gaara and Saylin, then Gaara alone, then Saylin separately. His chakra was running low and the demon he was facing had much new power and felt no fatigue from battling. Akito tried every jutsu he knew, but nothing seemed to penetrate the demon. With no opportunities left, Akito summoned all of his remaining strength, making many advanced hand-signs and combining many jutsus to form one huge jutsu that he was sure could capture the demon.

"Wind Style: Lightning Whirlwind!" Akito's hands omitted an eerie blue glow as he rushed forward. All he had to do now was touch the demon, in any way, and he would return to being preserved in his human form, the human dead. The obsessive man jumped into the air and aimed for the demon's back. The demon stared at him sensed the move. In retaliation, the demon lashed a tree with its tail, sending the broken piece of wood straight for Akito. With a scream of defeat, Akito threw his hands in front of his face, his spell grazing the tree. The tree ignited and burned into a pile of ashes in a matter of seconds. Without any strength left, Akito fainted in the air, hitting the ground with a large thump.

Seeing that its opponent was now defeated, the raccoon demon turned to its next victim in the clearing, Saylin.


	16. Ch 16 I'll Never Hurt You Again

Huspaz! And hello! I promise no more cliffies from here on out. :D Happy new year and all that good stuff!!! RXR please!!!!! Enjoy!!!!!!!!

**Ch. 16 I'll Never Hurt You Again**

Saylin stared into the demon's cold eyes. Knowing she would die if she fought it, Saylin screamed out to Gaara, hoping he'd awaken and stop the monster.

"Gaara! Wake up! You defeated Akito, turn back!" She pleaded as the demon came closer. Staggering, she tried to stand, and succeeded, but just barely. Her head vibrated and buzzed painfully, dots appearing in her vision. Her stomach screamed and Saylin's knees buckled underneath her.

She forced her hands together, knowing trying to heal her wound was the only way she would have a chance in combat. She would have to wake Gaara up, but he was resting on top of the raccoon on its back, a difficult place to reach. She forced herself to use a basic healing spell and only just succeeded. All strength lost, she blacked out. Panic and fear seized her mind, forcing her to open her eyes, thankful that few seconds had passed. Her eyes flickered to the demon, who was now circling her now. The spell had closed her wound and made it only a little smaller, light relief. Thankfully, the spell dulled the pain, all Saylin needed to reach Gaara.

Her vision, the dream, eagerly appeared in her mind. The red eyes, the eyes which killed her in the dream belonged to Gaara's demon, and it would trample her to death if she screamed and stood still. Saylin bravely stood up, legs bent, ready to sprint.

As in her dream, the demon charged at Saylin. She fought natural instinct which wanted her to stand still. Instead, Saylin rushed forward with many pangs of mind numbing injury, and jumped onto the demon's nose. From there, she leapt onto the demon's back and scrambled over to where Gaara was. Her wound had reopened and the demon was desperately trying to throw her off. It bucked and thrashed, but Saylin held on tightly to Gaara.

"Gaara…" She gasped, "Wake up."

With those words, she sloppily pressed her lips to his cheek, her arms tightening around his motionless back. When that seemed to have no effect, Saylin held him close to her, trying to keep consciousness. In her attempt to stay awake, she didn't notice that the demon was turning into a giant mountain of sand. Soon, she was sitting on a hill of it, the demon completely suppressed. Gaara, who had faintly heard her pleas and had felt her touch and kiss, awoke franticly in her arms.

"I knew you'd never hurt me again…" She whispered with a smile, her faint and unrecognizable. Gaara forced himself to smile and he collapsed his lips onto hers, one of his hands holding her tightly, as if to say 'I'll never let you go'. He then fainted from loss of blood and chakra, totally exhausted.

Saylin felt the darkness pressing on the edges of her vision, and now with no reason to fight it, let it conquer her mind, freefalling in the emptiness. Saylin let her head dropped peacefully on the ground, the sand a helpful cushion, feeling Gaara breathe steadily against her neck. The two shinobi lovers lay motionless in the sand, not knowing if they were going to be rescued or if thy were going to die in the midst of their success.

Luckily for them, when Gaara's demon roared, a large team of sand village ninjas had assembled themselves and rushed to the training grounds. When they arrived, they were lost for words to see the field completely wrecked and smashed, as if a giant hammer had come down upon it. If that didn't shock them enough, they almost had a heart attack when they found all three of the ninjas that had been threatening their village dead or unconscious, identities confirmed. But the most astonishing fact was that when they found the raccoon demon. They were astounded to find it safely back inside a half alive Gaara and a nearly dead Saylin.

The two ninjas, who were struggling to hold onto life and everything dear to them, were rushed to the hospital, where they were met and cared for by the most experienced doctors and nurses in the Sand village.

When news got out about Gaara and Saylin's defeat of the warriors, people swarmed the hospital, hoping to catch a glimpse of their heroes. Satsu, who nearly had a heart attack when she realized Saylin had gotten into more trouble, packed a small bag and shuffled over to the hospital where she wait for her 'daughter' and Saylin's boyfriend to wake up. Gaara's siblings' reactions were similar and they too stayed overnight at the hospital, waiting for their loved ones to wake up. Unfortunately, either Satsu or the sand siblings were allowed in the room where Saylin and Gaara were being operated on, this making the minutes they spent outside the room's door suspenseful and unnaturally calm.

Eventually, Satsu began talking to Temari and Kankuro, and they all had a fascinating conversation on Gaara and Saylin's relationship. Gaara and Saylin would have been glad they didn't hear it (if they knew about it); it would have been quite embarrassing for both of them. But nonetheless, Saylin and Gaara were strapped to their own IV and had many needles injecting sterile fluids into their veins and stickers reading their heartbeats (which was quite difficult because Gaara had two).

When Satsu was finally let inside the room, it was only because she burst her way in. Temari and Kankuro had tried to enter, but the doctors and nurses held them back. Satsu entered in a hurry because she heard that Saylin was awake, and that her heart was failing. A few doctors were in the room, shouting in the back round for more medical ninjas to come and help try and save Saylin.

Satsu burst through and grabbed Saylin's hands in her own.

"Satsu? Is that you?" Saylin murmured, blinking rapidly. "I feel so weak… I can't breath…"

"Listen to me! Listen… To… Me!" Satsu cried, tears running down her old face. "You need to live! Concentrate on all that is dear to you and all that you love! Don't let it slip away!" She shouted, her old hands trembling in fright as they held Saylin's.

Saylin concentrated, but found it impossible. Everything slid to and from her, everything from her thoughts to what she saw. The room seemed to slide back and forth, like on a boat.

"I can't…" Saylin moaned, closing her eyes.

"Yes you can!" Satsu shouted, "You have too much to live for! Your friends! Your love! Me! I've already watched my husband pass away like this, I won't let it happen to you!"

Saylin's eyes sluggishly open with weak determination. With growing fear and panic of what would happen if she closed her eyes again, Saylin wouldn't do so much as blink as the doctors entered the room with another ninja to heal her. Her heartbeat suddenly increased, bringing it closer to beating normally.

"Save my daughter!" Satsu cried as the doctors forced her to leave the room.

"Mom!" Saylin cried, not wanting anything more than her 'mother', Satsu, to be with her at that time.

"We're trying our best." They assured Satsu as they closed the door, knowing that line almost never worked on parents and guardians.

Satsu peered through the window the whole time they operated, breathing heavily. Saylin was blocked by view by the many doctors that were crowded around her, but that few second glance every few minutes was enough to keep Satsu standing there.

"Ms. Satsu," Temari whispered, "sit with us, she's going to be alright."

"She needs me to watch." Satsu replied as Temari and Kankuro joined her.

"What happened to Gaara?" Asked Kankuro, "Is my brother alright?" He offered both questions to anyone willing to answer.

"He's recovering quickly. His demonic strength has saved his life." Temari murmured quietly, not tearing her eyes away from the window.

"Do you think… she'll be ok?" Temari asked doubtfully, frightened at the very possible answer of 'no'.

"Yes, she will," Satsu said, not bothering to look at Temari's 'you're-lying!' face. "Her heartbeat has increased. That's all she needs. The doctors can do the rest." Satsu grumbled knowledgably, remembering all that they did when her husband was in the hospital after a grave mission. The hospital had even brought in a fancy a machine that could help him breath, but it wasn't enough. His heart failed, and there was nothing they could do. But Saylin had a chance- she still had a heartbeat.


	17. Ch 17 Friends

Hello! sorry this chapter is so short!!!!!!!! (first cheesy love scenes, then unending cliffies, now half-the-normal-length-chapters. wow I'm so cruel x.x) lol any who things are going to pick up again (and yes, Akito is FINALLY dead, yeah... I hated him too... lol)

**Ch. 18 The Hospital Visitors**

"Saylin?" Asked a familiar voice.

Saylin wanted to open her eyes, but decided against it. _"Who wants what now? I don't want to be bothered; if I pretend to be asleep, whoever it is might go away."_

"Saylin! Wake up!" The voice protested again.

"Come on! Open your eyes and wake up! You're not dead!" The voice shouted in frustration.

_"Why won't they leave?"_Saylin asked herself miserably, determined to keep still.

"Let me try." Said another voice.

"Saylin, we know you're awake." The voice singed.

_"Uh-oh."_ She thought nervously, trying not to laugh.

"Rise and shine!" The voice declared.

_"This is not good…"_

"Sayli- Ahhh! It's Akito!" The voice screamed.

"Where!" Saylin sat up strait, eyes budging, the blankets and pillows on her bed flying everywhere.

"Morning!" Three voices said in unison.

Saylin turned to face Satsu, Kankuro, and Temari.

"Sorry about that." Temari said sheepishly, a smirk on her face.

"I see you're feeling better." A cheerful Satsu noted.

Saylin and Satsu stared at each other for a moment, glad to see the other alive. "Yup!" Saylin said before anyone took notice.

"Saylin, you look nice in that hospital dre-" Kankuro started, only to be hit over the head with a huge hard cover novel by Temari.

"Perv!" She hissed. "What were you saying?" Temari asked sweetly, demanding a better compliment from Kankuro than the one about how Saylin looked.

"I was simply saying that that dress looks nice on-"

Wack!

"Geez! What are you-"  
"That's just for thinking it!" Temari accused, three egg sized lumps appearing on her brother's head. Saylin and Satsu watched wordlessly, wincing and flinching occasionally. Since Kankuro didn't know what he was doing wrong, he eventually shut his mouth and refused to open it.

"Feeling better?" Temari asked three minutes later.

"A little." Saylin replied honestly. _"That question is going to come up a lot."_ She thought tiredly.

"What about me?" Asked Gaara.

"How long have you been awake?" Asked Saylin knowingly, wondering how long he had been ease dropping.

"Long enough to know why Temari hit Kankuro." He said cheerfully.

"When are you planning to leave this place?" Temari asked, eyeing the room with distaste.

"Another two or three days." Gaara said, "Saylin will have to stay longer, approximately another five days." He shrugged as he spoke, estimating the time.

"No! I can't last a week in here!" Saylin cried dramatically.

"We'll keep you company after training, which by the way, has started up again!" Temari beamed. "We have to go, but we'll see you around!" Temari said, both she and Kankuro leaving for the ninja academy.

"Got to watch my shop." Satsu shrugged and hobbled out of the room.


	18. Ch 18 Once an Enemy Now a Friend

Allo!!!!!!! I'm sorry I haven't posted in forever!!!! Even I thought I died because I haven't done anything!! x.x' ok how many people here remember Ki and her gang of minions from the first few chapters???? WELL THEY'RE BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And as the title suggests....... someone makes a turn-around!!!!!!!!!!!! :3 Please RxR!!!! It's the only feedback I get!!!!!!!!!! Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!! And until next chapter!!!

**Ch. 19 Once an Enemy, Now A Friend**

The next three days were entertaining for Saylin. News reporters and journalists who were eager to hear what happened to Saylin and would come in frequently to ask her questions on 'her side of the story'. Occasionally, citizens from the village would stop by and drop off flowers, candy, or cards expressing their gratitude in her defeat of the three ninja. Saylin inwardly resented the fact that no one knew how Gaara was involved. The news didn't report it and the journalists never mentioned it in their papers. One day, most of the traders came in to see how Saylin was, a gathering she enjoyed greatly. Gaara soon left the hospital, but he came to visit her in his free time. Temari and Kankuro dropped by after their lessons at the academy, telling her what was going on at school.

Three days after Gaara left, Saylin was allowed to return home with a few adjustments to her school days for the next two weeks. The doctors had given her a note saying she couldn't participate in any physical activity in class- including missions, training in both physical and jutsu forms, and from carrying anything too heavy like ninja gear. When Saylin got to class the next day, her peers were in awe of her. No one said anything to her, but they whispered about her in the shadows and watched her intently when she entered the room. She awkwardly sat down next to Gaara, feeling the class watch her every movement. The wound in her stomach didn't hurt when she walked and it had reduced to a minor cut. The battle scar it left was huge, so Satsu dropped herbs off at Saylin's house every day to help get rid of it.

"Glad to have you back, Saylin." The teacher said with a thankful grin as he entered the classroom and walked over to Saylin's desk. "The class was lost without you."

"I can't do anything but sit here for two weeks." Saylin murmured, embarrassed as she handed over the doctor's pass to her teacher. He nodded a few times as he read the note. "You are excused." He said, sounding slightly disappointed.

Gaara filled her in on all the lessons she had missed while the teacher lectured. She hadn't missed much, and didn't need to make up any of it. In the middle of class, Saylin saw a note on the right hand corner of her desk. Saylin had almost forgotten Ki and her gang and sighed, bracing herself for a nasty note. When the teacher wasn't looking, she unfolded the delicate paper without a sound and read the note.

Saylin,

I'm sorry for what I did and said. Satsu told us about what happened at the training grounds and I want to say that I'm glad you're hanging out with Gaara. You were right about him all along and I was just being stupid and prejudice about him having a demon inside of him. I shouldn't have told the girls about what happened to you when we were younger- it was your decisions and now I know why you did it. You are a good friend and role model for this village. I wish there was some way I could repay you, and I ask for your forgiveness.

-Ki

Saylin didn't look up after reading the note, but slipped it into her pocket. She placed her head in her hands, letting her black hair fall in her face. _"I don't want to forgive her! She doesn't deserve it!"_ Part of her mind battled fiercely. _"She wants to change! Give her a chance!"_ The other part roared. The brain-battle was giving Saylin a headache so she looked around for something to concentrate on.

Saylin saw Ki out of the corner of her eye. Ki sat behind her, looking uneasy in her chair. Saylin then looked at Gaara, who stared at the note with concern. Saylin shook her head as if to say nothing was wrong, allowing Gaara to turn back and listen to the teacher drone on about the first Kazekage. After checking to make sure the teacher wasn't watching, Saylin scribbled a note in pencil on the back of the note.

You need to earn Gaara's forgiveness before you get mine.

Saylin trustingly handed the note back to Ki, who quickly read the note, her blue eyes flashing across the paper. When she was finished, she turned to glance at Gaara, who was scribbling down notes that were on the front black board. Ki bit her lower lip, as if she was making a difficult decision. She suddenly smiled genuinely and nodded at Saylin, not a fake smile she usually gave to her friends. Ki wrote a note back under Saylin's and handed it forward to her.

I'll try

Saylin smiled at the note and slipped it into her pocket.

"Now try the jutsu, class!" The teacher ordered.

"What's the jutsu?" Saylin hissed to Gaara in a small panic; she didn't want to miss a jutsu.

"Multiple shadow clone." Gaara whispered back, three of his clones appearing behind him. Saylin sighed; she mastered that one three months ago in extra classes for advanced students. She watched fearfully as the teacher shuffled through the class, checking the jutsus. Saylin shot Gaara a warning glance as the teacher shuffled closer to him.

"Gaara, you failed this jutsu!" The teacher shouted, slamming his teaching books on Gaara's desk. Saylin flinched at the noise turned away as the teacher yelled at Gaara. _"Why doesn't he fight back?"_ Saylin thought angrily. "You disgrace yourself and the class! Ki did better than you!" The teacher sneered, choosing the nearest person to pick on.

"His was as good as mine." Ki's soft voice caught everyone off guard, including Saylin. Ki stared down at her desk as she spoke, not wanting to see the angry and confused glances her classmates gave her. Gaara stared at Ki in confusion, but Saylin smiled encouragingly.

"What did you say?" The teacher spat, daring Ki to speak.

Ki's eyes flickered to a supportive Saylin, who smiled proudly.

"I said Gaara's jutsu was as good as mine!" She shouted so the whole class could hear her. They now had no doubts on what Ki had said.

The teacher was lost for words. He couldn't believe someone stood up for Gaara. Saylin had always supported him in silence, it was why Gaara didn't attack anyone, at least that's what he had come to assume. No one, on the other hand, had supported Gaara with words, something the teacher found astounding.

Speechless, the teacher walked away to chastise the next student.

Ki put her head on her desk and refused to stare at anyone or anything except the desk. Saylin wanted to say something to Ki, but decided to tell her after class. After the public discussion, the rest of class was full of tension. Most of the class was confused on why Ki would stand up for Gaara, and the others were anxious to get out of class and ask her why. When class finally ended, the students swarmed Ki angrily, with many obvious questions including "Why did you stand up for him?" or "Why would you stoop that low?". Saylin and Gaara were almost out of the classroom when the mob swarmed.

"What's going on? Does this have anything to do with that note that you passed to Ki?" Gaara asked.

"She wants to be forgiven. She knows that you're good." Saylin murmured, knowing how lame she sounded.

"Why? She's the one who tried to talk you out of being my friend, it might be a trick." He said.

"She stood up for you." Saylin debated, taking the note out of her pocket. "Read it." She ordered, "I'm going to get her out of that mob before they kill her."

Sure enough, the people that were once Ki's friends had Ki cornered in a wall while they interrogated her. Gaara, after reading the note, put it in his pocket and rushed after Saylin. The two then proceeded to fight fought their way to the front of the mob, catching bits of the questions and answers.

"Why? He's a demon! He can't be trusted!" One student said before he saw Gaara walk past him. The teacher had escaped the classroom so not to be blamed for whatever happened. Saylin had half a mind to go after him, but decided against it. Gaara was listening intently to the answers of each question while pushing his way to the front of the crowd with Saylin.

"Because we were wrong! He's just as much human as the next person and he's good! He saved Saylin's life!" Ki answered frustrated.

Saylin surged to the front of the crowd and grabbed Ki by the arm. "Let's go, these people aren't worth our time." Saylin said regretfully, pushing her way out of the crowd, which followed the three escaping ninja.

"Run!" Saylin shouted, releasing Ki's arm. Saylin, Gaara, and Ki ran out of the school, followed by many of their peers.

"I left my ninja bag back there!" Ki cried franticly.

"We'll get it later!" Saylin shouted, "I left mine there too!"

"Where are we going?" Ki asked, following Saylin and Gaara.

"Away from them!" Saylin shouted, pointing a finger at Ki's old friends, who were chasing them through the streets. "And to think," Saylin said between breaths, "I was supposed to refrain from physical activity."

"Then we'd better find a place to stop soon." Gaara suggested, worried about Saylin.

"My house is a two blocks away." Saylin said, "Let's go there."

Ki nodded and all three of them sprinted down the road and made a sharp right turn. At the end of that road, they made a left. Saylin skidded to a halt in front of her house, followed by Ki and Gaara. She forced her hand into her pocket, taking out the key. She franticly jammed the key into the door and threw it open. She grabbed the key and thrust the key back into her pocket. The three then scrambled inside and Saylin slammed the door shut behind them.

"We… lost… them." Saylin gasped, shuffling into the kitchen and collapsing onto a chair. The other two copied her and sat down in the kitchen chairs.

"So why are you helping us again?" Gaara asked emotionlessly, testing Ki's honesty. To reinforce his question, sand began to play at Gaara's feet. Saylin sat there silently, hoping Ki would comprehend what Gaara was trying to ask. Gaara would never hurt anyone, he was just seeing if Ki was telling the truth.

"Because I was stupid and wrong idiot! Saylin was right about you all along and I am beginning to see what she was saying about you being a good friend. I know you won't hurt me. All I want is forgiveness." Ki said bravely, raising an amused eyebrow at the sand.

"You've already earned that, what are you going to do now?" Gaara asked suddenly, "Your other friends won't come near you now, and if they do, they'll just stalk you like they did to me and Saylin." Gaara said thoughtfully.

"I… I don't know." Ki said with a shrug. "I guess I'll just have to find some new friends who don't care." With that, she stood up and walked towards the door.

"Wait!" Saylin said, "Both our bags are at the academy, want to get them together?" She offered purposefully.

Ki stared at her in amazement, comprehending the meaning behind her words. "Ok." She said feebly.

"Those girls are gone now so I'll go home now. See you two later." Gaara ended as he left.

Saylin and Ki watched wordlessly as Gaara left. They then exited the house silently. _"What should I say?"_ Saylin thought as she walked out onto the road, uncertain about what to say to her new friend.

"Um, what's up?" She asked, trying to start a conversation.

"The sky." Ki answered flatly, not even bothering to look up.

_"That didn't work."_ Saylin thought stupidly. "Did you go on any missions recently?" She asked randomly. _"Different topic maybe?"_

"Not really." Ki said with a shrug.

"Me neither." Saylin said, and then mentally slapped herself. _"Of course you didn't! You've been out for the past three weeks!"_

"I'm getting a new one soon though. It doesn't sound hard, but you never know." Ki said with a shrug.

"You're right. One time, I was on a simple mission trying to catch someone's cat and everything went wrong! When I found the cat near a building, I ran over to get it, but it got frightened and ran away. I then ran into a door, fell backwards on the sidewalk and accidentally sat on the cat!" Saylin cried, making Ki burst out into hysterical laughter.

"That sounds like the time when I was on my first high-classed mission. My friend who was on my squad had just gotten a manicure- that's important later. We had started walking into enemy territory and had split up from each other. Suddenly, she screamed. We all got scared and ran over to her and were like 'what happened? Are you alright?' She said 'no! I broke a nail, take me home!' We almost died from laughter! She ruined the mission!" Ki said, making Saylin smile.

"Nice." Saylin said as she pictured the event. "Speaking of them, do you think they'll still come after us?" She asked curiously.

"Nah, they're probably devastated right now. They'll resent us, but won't bother us." Ki said with a shrug.

"That works for me." Saylin said with a smile. "There's the school." Saylin noted, bounding up the front steps, Ki close behind her.

The two girls walked silently down the hallways of the building and into their classroom, 102. They quickly found their bags and rushed out of the school. "That place is creepy." Saylin hissed, "The teachers are evil."

"I don't blame you, I used to skip school just to get away from them. All they do is lecture, praise the top students, and give homework!" Ki admitted with a smirk.

"You're right." Saylin realized, slinging the bag over her shoulder. "I wasn't supposed to carry this, but it's almost empty so I guess I'm alright." Saylin said, trudging back down the road.

"That's my house, see you tomorrow." Ki said, pointing to an old house with chipped, blue paint.

"Bye!" Saylin said with a friendly wave before happily walking home, glad to have a new friend.


	19. ch 19 the end

Hello everyone! I apologize endlessly for how abrupt the ending for this is. lol. I hope you've enjoyed The Moon in My Night and I thank you so much for the reviews, it really meant a lot to me to hear back from you guys. Till my next fanfic, I bid you adu.

Quest for marbles

**Ch. 21 The End**

The next day, Saylin met Gaara on her way to school. "Hi!" She said when she spotted him, attacking him with a hug.

"Good morning to you, too." He said, giving her a kiss on her head. "How's your stomach? Fully healed yet?"

"Not yet." Saylin said with a sigh.

"Hi people." Ki said in her usual 'I just rolled out of bed' monotone, joining them.

"Wait for us!" Temari and Kankuro called from behind.

"Who's this?" Temari asked when she saw Ki.

"Temari, Kankuro, this is my friend Ki. Ki, meet Temari and Kankuro." She introduced.

"Nice to meet you." Ki said formally, trying to sound awake.

"Hi!" Temari cheered, a bright ray of sunshine to the sleepy ninja.

"Nice to meet you too." Kankuro said, staring at Ki with interest, who was blushing as she shook his hand.

"So… you're in Saylin's class?" He asked, turning his attention to Ki.

"Yeah…" Was the dull reply.

The two started talking and walked a little further away from the group, keeping them out of earshot.

Temari smacked her head. "I give up! Why can't my idiot brother restrain himself!"

"Gaara! Wait for me!" Saylin cried, trying to keep up with her boyfriend.

"Saylin, you're right." Gaara said.

"About what?" Saylin asked.

"People. You always forgive them even if they wrong you. You give them the opportunity to change." He said.

"I have to be right about something. And there's something else I am right about." Saylin said with a mysterious smile.

"What?" Gaara whispered, sliding closer to Saylin. She could smell the musk on his clothes and feel his breath on her skin. His eyes were sparkling with a needy desire, anxiously waiting for a response.

"You will become Kazekage and then the whole village will respect you, not just your family and friends." Saylin said softly, her eyes hardened with determination to make the dream a reality.

"You think that?" He asked, slightly amused.

It was hard for Saylin to think with Gaara so close. His presence made her thoughts fuzzy, disoriented; she could only nod in response.

Gaara smiled in approval and cupped her face with his hands in a mere second, and then collapsed his lips onto hers in the next.

"I will become Kazekage, someday." Gaara vowed, to Saylin's immediate approval.

"Arg! My eyes!" Screamed Kankuro in the back round, "And you tell me to keep it G rated!" He screamed, making Saylin and Gaara quickly break apart.

"We tell you to keep it G because you are a pervert whilst they are in love!" Screamed Temari, smacking him over the head.

"Be careful around him." Temari warned Ki, "He's a little forward." She hinted.

"I've dealt with guys like him before." Ki sighed, remembering the past. She fingered a few locks of her long hair and turned away from Kankuro, who stared at her, puzzled.

"What do you mean 'guys like me'?" He asked suspiciously, turning away to interrogate Ki.

"Young love." Satsu said with a sigh as the group passed her shop.

"What?" Saylin asked.

"Not you, Saylin, I know you like Gaara. I'm talking about those two." Satsu said, jerking her thumb over to Kankuro and Ki, who were talking shyly among themselves.

"He's a perv!" Temari cried.

"Look carefully. If he was a perv to her, he'd be making out with her by now." Satsu reasoned.

"You're right." Temari noted suspiciously. "I'll have to keep an eye on them."

"Good luck! Now get to school before you are late!" Satsu ordered, shooing the students away to the academy.

The five ninja were friends for the rest of their life. Saylin and Gaara got married only a mere year after Gaara became Kazekage. Their only child was named Ayumi and quickly became the prodigy of the village. Ki and Kankuro were wed a year before Saylin and Gaara and had three children, twin boys named San and Yoko, and one girl named Toki. Temari soon met Shikamaru and the two got married two years after Gaara and Saylin.


End file.
